58 LIFE OF I'ROFESSOR HUXLEY CUAP. Ill 



scope and usefulness of the Royal Society. As for 

 the latter, a proposal had been made for federation 

 with colonial scientific societies, which was opposed 

 by some of his friends in the x Club ; and he writes 

 to Sir E. Frankland on February 3 : — 



I am very sorry you are all against Evans' scheme. I 

 am for it. I think it a very good proposal, and after all 

 the talk, I do not want to see the Society look foolish by 

 doing nothing. 



You are a lot of obstructive old Tories, and want 

 routing out. If I were only younger and less indisposed 

 to any sort of exertion, I v/ould rout you out finely ! 



With respect to the former, it had been proposed 

 that medical degrees should be conferred, not by the 

 university, but by a union of the several colleges 

 concerned. He writes : — 



4 Marlborough Place, 

 Jan. 11, 1888. 



My dear Foster — I send back the " Heathen 

 Deutscheree's " (whose ways are dark) letter lest I forget 

 it to-morrow. 



Meanwhile perpend these two things : — 



1. United Colleges propose to give just as good an 

 examination and require as much qualification as the 

 Scotch Universities. Why then give their degree a 

 distinguishing mark ? 



2. "Academical distinctions" in medicine are all 

 liumbug. You are making a medical technical school at 

 Cambridge — and quite right too. The United Colleges, 

 if they do their business properly, will confer just as 

 much, or as little " academical distinction " as Cambridge 

 by their degree. 



3. The Fellowship of the College of Surgeons is in 



