National Scientific and Educational fnslitutions. 323 



Those of more recent j^rowth, such as the Army Medical Museum, 

 founded in 1862;' the Bureau of Ivducation, founded in 1867;= the Fish 

 Conmiission, founded in 1870;' the Bureau of Ethnoloj>-y, founded in 1879/ 

 althou.c:h not less important than many of those already discussed, are 

 so recent in origin that the events connected with their development have 

 not passed into the domain of history. 



The material results of the scientific work of the Government during 

 the past ten years undoubtedly surpass in extent all that had been accom- 

 plished during the previous hundred years of the independent existence 

 of the nation. With this recent period the present paper has wo concern, 

 for it has been written from the standpoint of Carlyle, who, in vSartor 

 Resartus, states his belief that "in every phenomenon the beginning 

 remains always the most notable moment." 



It is nevertheless very encouraging to be assured that the altitude of 

 our Government toward scientific and educational enterprises is every 

 3^ear becoming more and more in harmony with the hopes of the founders 

 of our Republic, and iu accord with the views of such men as Washing- 

 ton, Franklin, Jefferson, John Adams, Madison, Monroe, John Quincy 

 Adams, Gallatin, and Rush. 



It is also encouraging to know that the national attitude toward science 

 is the subject of constant approving comment in Europe. Perhaps the 

 mo.st significant recent utterance was that of Sir I^yon Playfair in his 

 address before the British Association for the Advancement of vScience, 

 at the Aberdeen meeting. He said: 



On September 14, 1859, I sat on this platform and listened to the eloqiient address 

 and wise counsel of the Prince Consort. At one time a member of his household, 

 it was my privilege to cooperate with this illustrious prince in many questions 

 relating to the advancement of science. I naturally, therefore, turned to his presi- 

 dential address to see whether I might not now continue those counsels which he 

 then gave with all the breadth and comprehensiveness of his masterly speeclies. I 

 found, as I expected, a text for my own discoiirse in some pregnant remarks which 

 he made upon the relation of Science to the State. They are as follows: "We may 

 be justified in hoping . . . that the IvCgislature and the State will more and more 

 recognize the claims of science to their attention, so that it may no longer require 

 the begging-box, but speak to the State like a favored child to its parent, sure of his 

 paternal solicitude for its welfare; that the vState will recognize in science one of its 

 elements of strength and prosperity, to foster which the clearest dictates of self- 

 interest demand." 



This opinion, in its broadest sense, means that the relations of science to the vState 

 should be made more intimate because the advance of .science is needful to the 

 public weal. 



' See J. S. Billings, Medical Museums, with Special Reference to the Army Med- 

 ical Museum at Washington. President's address, delivered before the Congress of 

 American Physicians and vSurgeons, September 20, 1888. 



' See the eighteen annual reports of the Connnissioner of Education. 



3 See G. Brown Goode, The vStatus of the United States Fish Conunission in 18S4, 

 etc., Washington, 1884. 



''See the six annual reports of the Bureau, and the Smithsonian reports, 1S79-18S8. 



