206 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



direct: pecuniary loss, either for apparatus or assistants or by 

 loss of time which might be spent more lucratively in practice — 

 a consideration applying especially to professional men such as 

 doctors and engineers. Here, too, we must remember that very 

 few of the teaching staffs of our universities are specifically 

 employed for investigation in addition to teaching. Some think 

 that investigation is nevertheless a part of the duties of a 

 professor ; but unless this is laid down directly in the contract, 

 such a view is merely a pious opinion, and as a matter of fact 

 many teachers do no investigation at all, their time being fully 

 taken up with their teaching. We thus see that on the whole 

 a very small part of the research work done is remunerative to 

 the worker in this country. 



Scientific discoveries may or may not be directly advan- 

 tageous to the public or the State, though they always increase 

 the stock of human knowledge. For example, we could hardly 

 claim that physical astronomy, or studies on the constitution of 

 the atom, or some physiological work, confer such benefits on 

 humanity as can be directly measured in terms of pounds, 

 shillings, and pence. On the other hand, a large number of 

 discoveries are so measurable, either in the advantage given to 

 the public at large, or to their governments, or by direct saving 

 of pecuniary loss to the latter. We may instance here such cases 

 as the recent improvements in tropical medicine and sanitation, 

 which reduce the sick-rate amongst the people in the tropics, 

 and also save governments considerable expenditure formerly 

 due to the death and invaliding of officials and soldiers. Edward 

 Jenner's discovery of vaccination for the prevention of small-pox 

 is another very good example — and it is easy to think of many 

 more. 



On comparing these points we shall see that all discoveries 

 may be classed into groups, according to whether they have or 

 have not been remunerative to the workers, and at the same 

 time have or have not been of direct measurable benefit to 

 humanity or to governments. Men of science may therefore 

 quite justifiably claim that if their discoveries have been of 

 measurable benefit to the State, but not to themselves, the State 

 should make some effort to reward or compensate them. This 

 is especially the case when such discoveries have involved 

 direct pecuniary loss, either as regards apparatus and assistants 

 or loss of professional time. We maintain that in such cases it 



