THE PLACE OF RESEARCH IN EDUCATION. 345 



elevating though it be when regarded from the purely 

 scientific point of view. Full and complete recognition of 

 Hofmann's services to the industry characterises every 

 page of the monograph, and the only ground of complaint 

 which some of us feel that we have against the writer is 

 that his own threat services are nowhere referred to. Wher- 

 ever they received their early training, the true education 

 which experience in the world alone gives was gained by 

 both Hofmann and Caro while in the service of English 

 masters ; and it is an interesting problem for speculation 

 whether, had they remained with us, our position would not 

 have been a different one. Germany could scarcely have 

 accomplished what it has done without them, but by years 

 of patient labour her Universities had laid a broad and solid 

 foundation on which alone such men could build. Here, 

 such men had neither brick nor mortar offered to them 

 either by the Universities or manufacturers, and such is our 

 disregard of theory in this country oi 'practical men,' that 

 we even now have not learnt the lesson which the con- 

 templation of the success of German chemical industry 

 teaches; shall we ever learn it properly? In London, at 

 all events, we shall probably wrangle during years to come 

 about the establishment of a University worthy of the 

 greatest city in the world, which will set an example and 

 help us again to do our fair share of the work which has 

 been taken from us ; and it will be years, apparently, before 

 English manufacturers will all learn to spell the word 

 chemist — and that it will acquire some meaning for them. 

 But it is much to be feared that recantation may come too 

 late, and that the opportunity will have been lost. America, 

 perhaps, will meanwhile have learnt the lesson also, and 

 the competition we shall have to meet will not be European 

 alone ; we have not only to go ahead as fast as others, but 

 to make up for much lost time, and it is not likely that 

 others will calmly stand by while we make the attempt. 



" Such is the lesson which we may derive, it seems to me, 

 from the study of Hofmann's career and the attendant 

 circumstances ; and it is one which we in this Society must 

 take very deeply to heart.'' 



