62 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



pulsory upon the medical student, I am not, for a moment, suggesting 

 their exchision from the university. I think that sound and practical 

 instruction in the elementary facts and broad principles of biology 

 should form part of the arts curriculum : and here, happily, my theory 

 is in entire accordance with your practice. Moreover, as I have already 

 said, I have no sort of doubt that, in view of the relation of physical 

 science to the practical life of the present day, it has the same right 

 as theology, law, and medicine, to a faculty of its own in which men 

 shall be trained to be professional men of science. It may be doubted 

 whether universities are the places for technical schools of engineering, 

 or applied chemistry, or agriculture. But there can surely be little 

 question, that instruction in the branches of science which lie at the 

 foundation of these arts, of a far more advanced and special character 

 than could, with any propriety, be included in the ordinary arts cur- 

 riculum, ought to be obtainable by means of a duly-organized faculty 

 of science in every university. 



The establishment of such a faculty would have the additional 

 advantage of providing, in some measure, for one of the greatest wants 

 of our time and country. I mean the proper support and encourage- 

 ment of original research. 



The other day, an emphatic friend of mine committed himself to 

 the opinion that, in England, it is better for a man's worldly prospects 

 to be a drunkard, than to be smitten with the divine dipsomania of the 

 original investigator. I am inclined to think he was not far wrong. 

 And, be it observed, that the question is not, whether such a man shall 

 be able to make as much out of his abilities as his brother, of like 

 ability, who goes into law, or engineering, or commerce ; it is not a 

 question of " maintaining a due number of saddle-horses," as George 

 Eliot somewhere puts it — it is a question of living or starving. 



If a student of my own subject shows power and originality, I dare 

 not advise him to adopt a scientific career ; for, supposing he is able 

 to maintain himself until he has attained distinction, I cannot give 

 him the assurance that any amount of proficiency in the biological 

 sciences will be convertible into, even the most modest, bread-and- 

 cheese. And I believe that the case is as bad, or perhaps worse, with 

 other branches of science. In this respect Britain, whose immense 

 wealth and prosperity hang upon the thread of applied science, is far 

 behind France, and infinitely behind Germany. 



And the worst of it is, that it is very difficult to see one's way to 

 any immediate remedy for this state of affiiirs which shall be free from 

 a tendency to become worse than the disease. 



Great schemes for the endowment of research have been proposed. 

 It has been suggested that laboratories for all branches of physical 

 science, provided with every apparatus needed by the investigator, 

 shall be established by the state ; and shall be accessible, under due 

 conditions and regulations, to all properly-qualified persons. I see no 



