248 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



natural knowledge by the existing custom of placing the instruction 

 on these many and divergent subjects in the hands of one " general 

 science teacher," for the subject has recently been ably treated in 

 the Educational Review. There are two other considerations which 

 are sufficient to occupy us at present: First, that if the time spent 

 upon scientific training is to be divided among so many different 

 branches, it is impossible that the real purpose of such training 

 should be carried out. Second, that the attempt to take up all these 

 subjects is actually detrimental to a scholar's mental growth; for 

 it must be remembered that during the same space of time in 

 which scientific instruction has made such rapid strides, the require- 

 ments in all other branches of knowledge have been in no way dimin- 

 ished ; on the contrary, their tale of bricks has been in some respects 

 increased. 



There seems to be a general agreement that the importance at 

 present attached to scientific knowledge is but the fitting recognition 

 of its value as an educational agent. If we analyze the matter, how- 

 ever, we shall find that this agreement does not exist as to the exact 

 nature of the value which is so universally admitted. There are, in 

 fact, two distinctly different conceptions as to the use and purpose of 

 scientific training, and it is very necessary to a right understanding 

 of the questions we have just placed before ourselves for considera- 

 tion that we should distinguish between these. One of the aforesaid 

 theories is that of the physical scientists themselves, the " gifted 

 leaders " who so earnestly advocated reform in their own line. Their 

 views are best stated in the words of the man who led their advance 

 guard, and whose just claim for the introduction of science into edu- 

 cation we have already quoted. " The great peculiarity of scientific 

 instruction, that in virtue of which it can not be replaced by any 

 other discipline whatever, is this bringing of the mind directly into 

 contact with fact, and practicing the intellect in the completest form 

 of induction — that is to say, in drawing conclusions from particular 

 facts made known by immediate observation. The other studies 

 which enter into education do not discipline the mind in this way." 

 This opinion, even though it is that of the highest authorities, is 

 unfortunately held by a very small minority — in fact, only by the 

 authorities themselves. The second theory as to the purpose of sci- 

 entific instruction, to which the majority adhere, is that of the 

 followers in the " crusade." These are the blind leaders of the blind; 

 they are men and women whose actual knowledge of the natural 

 sciences is almost nil, but they advocate the introduction of all of 

 them into school training, because they consider that in a liberal 

 education no educational stone should be left unturned. 



Now, if the value of scientific knowledge lies, as Professor Hux- 



