436 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



tions which are indicated by the whole of their organization, 

 render the work one of great prospective interest to all compara- 

 tive Anatomists, and especially to those who have the advantage 

 of studying these animals " at home." 



The address of Professor Yirchow, on the Liberty of Science, 

 read before the meeting of the German Association at Munich in 

 September, 1877, but not received here in time for notice in the 

 President's address last year, has naturally attracted much atten- 

 tion among thinking men. The distinguished author is evidently 

 under the suspicion that there may be some risk of an opinion 

 coming to prevailthat the spread of science is inconsistent with 

 the interests of society, and under some apprehension that in such 

 a case the existing organizations of government may interfere to 

 limit to a serious, if not fatal, extent the freedom of scientific 

 research. Discerning this danger upon the horizon, and startled, 

 as I gather from his own words, at the addresses delivered by 

 Professors Hgeckel and Nageli, he proceeds to draw a sharp de- 

 marcation between the Ascertained, which is Science, and the 

 Hypothetical, which may or may not become Ascertained. For 

 Science he claims perfect freedom, not only to study, but to 

 teach, and, as it were, proselytize, by all the methods of a scien- 

 tific propaganda, in the school, the university, the public press. 

 But for the second kind of propositions, under which fall all dis- 

 puted questions, whether as to particulars or general theories, he 

 frankly surrenders all claim to such a right, illustrating and 

 explaining with much humour the detriment to both science and 

 society arising from an unwise ostentation of speculative views. 

 It is not to be supposed that Virchow is at all an advocate for 

 " mental reservation " in scientific utterance, or for a division of 

 science into Exoteric for the People, and Esoteric for the Professors. 

 But as he denies to society the right to interfere with science, so 

 he refuses to the teacher the right to press mere theories upon 

 the world ; or, rather, he forbids him even to utter any Hypothesis, 

 except before an audience which can understand what a Hypo- 

 thesis is ; of what use it may be ; how almost certain it is to mis- 

 lead ; and that this particular statement is such a Hypothesis. 

 Were Virchow's advice followed, there would be much less noise 



