172 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ive analysis of the most complicated actions and relations. It is pre- 

 eminently the study in which one is trained in the whole art of think- 

 ing, and in which one is taught to be conscious of each step he takes 

 in the onward march of his investigations, and to know that the course 

 he is following, and that course alone, will lead him to the truth, the 

 arriving at which is the ultimate object of all his labors. 



But here I must utter a word of warning. It is of the utmost im- 

 portance to distinguish clearly between scientific information and 

 training hi science, between a mere literary acquaintance with scien- 

 tific facts such as may be attained by a reader possessed of a some- 

 what acute mind and a fair share of constructive imagination and that 

 power, those habits of mind, which are only to be gained by the study 

 of facts at first hand. To the majority of jjupils, it would not be the 

 information they would gain by a study of science, valuable though 

 this would be, that would be of chief importance, but the scientific 

 habit of mind they would acquire. This habit would be of incalculable 

 benefit to them whatever might be their avocations in after-life, and 

 it would be better attained by a thorough investigation of the facts 

 and principles of one science than by a general acquaintance with what 

 has been spoken or written about many of them. 



That this warning against confusing information and training is 

 not wholly unnecessary will be seen by the following extract from the 

 late Professor Todhunter's essay, entitled " The Conflict of Studies " : 



" We assert," says the professor, " that, if the resistance of the air 

 be withdrawn, a sovereign and a feather will fall through equal spaces 

 in equal times. Very great credit is due to the person who first 

 imagined the well-known experiment to illustrate this, but it is not 

 obvious what is the special benefit now gained by seeing a lecturer 

 repeat the process. It may be said that a boy takes more interest in 

 the matter by seeing for himself, or by performing for himself, that 

 is, by working the handle of the air-pump ; this we admit, while we 

 continue to doubt the educational value of the transaction. The boy 

 would also take much more interest in foot-ball than in Latin gram- 

 mar, but the measure of his interest is not identical with that of the 

 importance of the subjects. It may be said that the fact makes a 

 stronger impression on the boy through the medium of his sight, that 

 he believes it more confidently. I say that this ought not to be the 

 case. If he does not believe the statement of his tutor — probably a 

 clergyman of mature knowledge, recognized ability, and blameless 

 character — his suspicion is irrational, and manifests a want of the 

 power of appreciating evidence, a want fatal to his success in that 

 branch of science which he is supposed to be cultivating." 



Professor Todhunter was an eminent teacher of mathematics ; he 

 wrote many text-books on this science, some of which have been trans- 

 lated into nearly every civilized tongue, he even wrote an elementary 

 text-book on physical science, the very science the boy is here as- 



