318 THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



representing applied science. These meet at frequent intervals in 

 London, whilst others, having similar objects in view, hold their 

 meetings at the University towns, and at other centres of intel- 

 ligence and industry throughout the country, giving evidence of 

 great mental activity, and producing some of those very results 

 which the founders of the British Association wished to see 

 realised. If we consider further the extraordinary development 

 of scientific journalism which has taken place, it cannot surprise 

 us when we meet with expressions of opinion to the effect that the 

 British Association has fulfilled its mission, and should now yield 

 its place to those special societies it has served to call into exist- 

 ence. On the other hand, it may be urged that the brilliant 

 success of last year's Anniversary Meeting, enhanced by the com- 

 prehensive address delivered on that occasion by my distinguished 

 predecessor in office, Sir John Lubbock, has proved, at least, that 

 the British Association is not dead in the affections of its members 

 and it behoves us at this, the first ordinary gathering in the second 

 half century, to consider what are the strong points to rely upon 

 for the continuance of a career of success and usefulness. 



If the facilities brought home to our doors of acquiring scientific 

 information have increased, the necessities for scientific inquiry 

 have increased in a greater ratio. The time was when science was 

 cultivated only by the few, who looked upon its application to the 

 arts and manufactures as almost beneath their consideration ; this 

 they were content to leave in the hands of others, who, with only 

 commercial aims in view, did not aspire to further the objects of 

 science for its own sake, but thought only of benefiting by its 

 teachings. Progress could not be rapid under this condition of 

 things, because the man of pure science rarely pursued his inquiry 

 beyond the mere enunciation of a physical or chemical principle, 

 whilst the simple practitioner was at a loss how to harmonise the 

 new knowledge with the stock of information which formed his 

 mental capital in trade. 



The advancement of the last fifty years has, I venture to submit, 

 rendered theory and practice so interdependent, that an intimate 

 union between them is a matter of absolute necessity for our 

 future progress. Take, for instance, the art of dyeing, and we find 

 that the discovery of new colouring matters derived from waste 

 products, such as coal-tar, completely changes its practice, and 



