300 SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT. 



life and consciousness. Modern physiology, especially 

 psychophysics, is claimed as essentially a German science. 

 Meanwhile England, where the introduction of the 

 scientific spirit as an established canon of systematic and 

 methodical research was later than in other countries, 

 has all through this century, as before, continued to 

 do pioneer work in many isolated branches of science: 

 individual, as opposed to corporate effort, has here been 

 rewarded by a succession of brilliant discoveries, which 

 have revolutionised practical life or opened out new 

 views into the hidden recesses of nature. For the 

 want of organisations of research and teaching, such as 

 other countries possessed, these ideas of English thinkers 

 have frequently lain dormant or been elaborated by 

 foreign talent ; but this want of a recognised system, and 

 of a standard course of study, has forced original minds 

 into a closer communion with nature and with life, 

 whence they have frequently returned to the laboratory 

 with quite novel revelations. The largest number of 

 works perfect in form and substance, classical for all 

 time, belongs probably to France; the greatest bulk of 

 scientific work probably to Germany; but of the new 

 ideas which during this century have fructified science, 

 the larger share belongs probably to England. Such 

 seems to be the impartial verdict of history. During the 

 second half of the century a process of equalisation has gone 

 on which has taken away something of the characteristic 

 peculiarities of earlier times. The great problems of science 

 and life are now everywhere attacked by similar methods. 

 Scientific teaching proceeds on similar lines, and ideas and 

 discoveries are cosmopolitan property. So much more 



