242 



NATURE 



\jfan. 16, 1890 



so that the strong expression of opinion in favour of the 

 muzzling regulations (in conjunction with the dis- 

 ihgenuousness of the argument of their opponents) is 

 easily understood. 



From a survey of the known behaviour of animals 

 affected with rabies, and in accordance with the measures 

 customarily adopted in dealing with infection among 

 animals, where as in the present case it is not desirable 

 to interfere with their free movement from place to place, 

 Mr. Chaplin declared a number of counties as infected, 

 taking areas around to provide sufficient margin against 

 conveyance of contagion. 



It is this wise and carefully-designed attempt to stamp 

 out the disease, which the Standard, alone in the Press, 

 has attacked in the most unmeasured language. Having 

 no " case '^ from the scientific and medical stand-point, 

 the editor through his leader-writers abuses his opponent's 

 attorney (if Mr. Chaplin will forgive the simile). The 

 Conservatives in Kent are positively called upon by the 

 leading daily paper of their party to vote against their 

 own Government, and why? Because they are asked to 

 help stamp out rabies ; and at what cost ? it may be 

 asked. None save that of the hire of a muzzle. 



This is where the difficulty of our kind of Government 

 arises. Because a solitary voice in the Press objects to a 

 sanitary measure, which has nothing whatever to do with 

 politics, ill-feeling is to be aroused among the voters. It 

 is, however, satisfactory to add that possibly no such 

 attempt on the part of any journal has ever met with such 

 a chilling reception from the rest of its contemporaries— 

 those who have not refrained from observations on the 

 matter having only mentioned it to utterly condemn it. 



A sanitary question, to our mind, becomes a question of 

 moral right or wrong when the means proposed for its 

 solution involve nothing beyond a little reasonable trouble, 

 and it is this view of the matter which we fancy finally 

 crystallizes out in the form of what is called public 

 opinion. After the process of the actual experience of 

 the last five years, public opinion is evidently set in the 

 direction of preventing hydrophobia by muzzling. It is 

 of course impossible that Mr. Chaplin should yield to 

 this, the first abusive attack that has been made upon him 

 in his official capacity, but certainly if anything should 

 support him, it is the cognizance of the unworthiness of 

 the opposition which the Standard has fomented against 

 his action in the service of the community. 



We should wish in conclusion to direct attention to 

 certain obvious deductions which can justly be drawn 

 from the history of this matter, and other events con- 

 nected with the subject of rabies. 



Both the prevention and the cure of this horrible 

 zymotic malady are the outcome of close scientific experi- 

 mental work. It was reserved for M. Pasteur to make 

 clear and harmonize the various stages (always obscure 

 and apparently contradictory at first) of our knowledge 

 by the immense progress he inaugurated and carried out 

 in the study of infection. 



It is M. Pasteur who himself has pointed out better 

 than anyone how the disease can be prevented from attack- 

 ing man or animals, and he is the first who has shown 

 in the slightest degree how it can be prevented from 

 developing in the system after it has gained access to the 

 body. 



The nineteenth century, however, affords no shelter to 

 the man of science to discover benefits for his fellow- 

 men, for although the progress of knowledge has fortu- 

 nately destroyed the Inquisition, yet society tolerates 

 the existence of the anti-vivisectionist agitation, which not 

 only scatters broadcast the foulest and falsest aspersions on 

 such a man's life and character, but in its most recent 

 development violently opposes the advance of hygiene. 



POLYTECHNICS FOR LONDON. 



WHETHER or not the London County Council 

 comes to the wise decision to utilize the pro- 

 visions of the new Technical Instruction Act, it is prob- 

 able that for the most part Londoners will have to look for 

 intermediate and higher technical instruction to other 

 agencies than rate-aided schools, at all events in the 

 immediate future. In these matters London is in an 

 exceptional position as the capital of the Empire. In 

 the first place, it is the natural home of the Normal 

 Schools of Science and Art which form part of the 

 machinery of the Science and Art Department. And, 

 besides this, it is the centre of greatest activity of the 

 organization of the City and Guilds Institute, whose three 

 model Colleges are all situated within the metropolitan 

 area. 



The proportion, however, of the inhabitants of London 

 whose education is affected by these higher institutions 

 is necessarily small. The Government schools are im- 

 perial rather than local, and their situation is chosen 

 regardless of the industrial needs of London The 

 Central Institution of the City and Guilds likewise 

 belies its name by its situation at South Kensington. 

 The other two schools of the City and Guilds, at Fins- 

 bury and Kennington, have a direct and most important 

 relation to surrounding industries, and keep high the 

 standard of what teaching in applied science and art 

 ought to be. But teaching of this high order is very 

 expensive, though the fees charged may be low, and of 

 recent years a newer and more popular movement has 

 sprung up, aiming at a lower standard of instruction 

 carried on at less cost, and adapted, so far as practicable, 

 to the benefit of the mass of working men. 



The best type of such institutions in London is the 

 so-called " Polytechnic " in Regent Street. The basis of 

 the organization is the Young Men's Christian Institute 

 started some years ago by Mr, Quintin Hogg, Round 

 this nucleus he has gradually built up an institution in 

 which evening classes, recreation, and gymnastics have 

 all a part. Under his guidance the Institute has grown 

 to great dimensions, and a number of very largely-attended 

 classes of all kinds are now conducted in the building 

 which for many years was occupied by the " Polytechnic " 

 of the diving-bell and Prof. Pepper. Many of the classes 

 are in general and commercial subjects, but there are 

 science and art classes in connection with South Ken- 

 sington, technological classes in connection with the City 

 and Guilds Institute, and trade and practical classes in 

 various industries and handicrafts. The greater part are 

 held in the evening, but there are also day classes ; and 

 day schools for boys and girls are attached to the institu- 

 tion. 



It will be seen that this experiment in technical educa- 



