October i, 19 14] 



NATURE 



o:> 



board. I still say that it was never a University at 

 all in the past. But a man reading hard by himself, 

 perhaps far away from a college, could have a severe 

 test applied to his acquirements which encouraged him 

 in his studies when he had no other encouragement, 

 and the test was very rightly a severe test. To do away 

 with its outside examinations altogether, as I. believe 

 is the intention of the authorities, will be exceedingly 

 harmful. It would be impertinent in me to make a 

 suggestion as to the distinction which might be made 

 between a degree conferred by his own professors 

 upon a man who has attended regularly a college of 

 repute, and a degree conferred by a mere examining 

 body upon an outside student. For the first, the 

 examination test may be easy. The Oxford and Cam- 

 bridge pass degree examinations are quite easy, and 

 rightly so, for the real qualification is that an under- 

 graduate shall have lived for three years in the intel- 

 lectual and cultured life of an Oxford or Cambridge 

 college. In the other case the mere examination is 

 the only test, and it is rightly very severe. The two 

 kinds of degree differ altogether in quality. In a new 

 country of great distances I can imagine many good 

 secondary schools to be established having neither 

 suf!icient funds nor sufficient pupils to be qualified as 

 universities. Yet it may be of enormous importance 

 that a few of the older pupils at such schools should 

 as external students be examined for degrees by dis- 

 tant universities, which, in such a case, are merely 

 outside examining bodies. I can see the gradual in- 

 crease in importance of such secondary schools lead- 

 ing to the establishment of something higher — namely, 

 colleges of university rank — and I can see such 

 affiliated colleges becoming universities themselves 

 perhaps after a period in which two or more of them 

 federated themselves as universities. But I say that 

 there ought always to be some examination machinery- 

 by which a student who is too poor or who through 

 any other circumstance is unable to attend a university 

 college may be encouraged to study by himself, by 

 having his attainments tested. 



In this address I have said nothing about the educa- 

 tion of women. I have always advocated higher 

 education for girls, but it is surely wicked to teach 

 girls as if they were boys. Men are concentrative, 

 and they specialise ; women observe more and more 

 about many things, and they really have more capa- 

 city for acquiring mental power. Until quite recently 

 girls were saved from stupidity, but the high schools 

 are now giving a crammed knowledge of facts and of 

 the opinions of the tribe, so that girls and women are 

 ceasing to think for themselves. The education of 

 men is in a bad way, but that of women is becoming 

 much worse. 



I think that in this address I have put forward no 

 idea that I have not already published time after time 

 in the last thirty-five vears. I put these views for- 

 ward again because, after much thought and much 

 experience, I still think them to be correct, and I 

 feel sure that they must prevail. But I must confess I 

 that it is only a very hopeful man who can peg away 

 at a thankless task as Dr. Armstrong and I have been 

 doing so long. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 



INTELLIGENCE. 



Glasgow. — Dr. A. W. Stewart, lecturer in organic 

 chemistry in the Queen's University of Belfast, and 

 formerly lecturer in stereochemistry at University Col- 

 lege, London, has been appointed lecturer in physical 

 chemistry at the University of Glasgow, in succession 

 to Prof. Soddy, now of Aberdeen. 



NO. 2344, VOL. 94] 



Bv the will of the late Major-General Tweedie, his 

 estate of Lettrick, in the parish of Dunscore, having 

 an annual value of about i8o/., is bequeathed to the 

 University of Edinburgh. The annual income is to be 

 applied by the University to the establishment of 

 scholarships for research into the early history, develop- 

 ment, and religion of Eastern peoples; or in such way 

 as may seem best suited to advance that branch of 

 study. 



The leading article of the August issue of the 

 Reading University College Review deals with the 

 teaching of applied science, and the question is con- 

 sidered from the point of view of chemistry. The 

 writer urges that given a due knowledge of pure 

 chemistry, all that is required for the master\' of any 

 branch of applied chemistry is concentration on those 

 analytical methods and physical problems which 

 belong to it. Thus to succeed in any applied branch 

 of the science a man must first be a pure chemist. 

 He goes on to argue that the system of instruction in 

 applied sciences followed in this country attempts too 

 much and does too little. The syllabus should be 

 restricted, while more time should be devoted to 

 general principles. The applied part should not be 

 taken separately, but should be interwoven with the 

 rest and used to illustrate it. Speaking generally the 

 student of applied science will profit most if his work 

 in pure science is designed to give him adequate 

 training in scientific method. 



The calendar for 1914-15, that is, for the ninety- 

 second session, of Birkbeck College, London, has been 

 received. Full provision has been made for continuing 

 the work of the college during the present academic 

 year in tlie direction of supplying approved courses of 

 instruction for degrees in arts, science, laws, and 

 economics of the University of London, and offering 

 other important educational facilities. The usefulness 

 of the college is much curtailed by its limited accom- 

 modation : its pressing need is for increased space. 

 More extensive college buildings, with additional class- 

 rooms and larger laboratories better adapted to modern 

 requirements, would give a great stimulus to the work 

 of the college and add to its public utility. Attention 

 is directed in an introduction to the calendar to the 

 final report of the Royal Commission on University 

 Education in London (19 13), in which the Commis- 

 sioners write (section 248): "We think that the 

 original purpose of the founder of Birkbeck College 

 and the excellent work that institution has done for 

 the education of evening students who desire a univer- 

 sity training, mark it out as the natural seat of the 

 constituent college in the faculties of arts and science 

 for evening and other part-time students." 



A COPY of the annual report, for the year ended 

 March 31, 1914, of the Education Committee of the 

 County Council of the West Riding of Yorkshire has 

 been received. The report contains much evidence of 

 sound progress during the year. The arrangements 

 with the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield under 

 which, in virtue of the general grants made by the 

 County Council, certain definite work is undertaken 

 by the universities and certain free places are reserved 

 for nominees of the County Council, have been con- 

 tinued. In addition to external lectures on coal 

 mining, given by the University of Sheffield, both 

 Universities have been engaged also in the organisa- 

 tion and supervision of classes in coal mining, 

 the Leeds University in the area of the West 

 Yorkshire coalfield, the Sheffield University- in the area 

 of the South Yorkshire coalfield; and each university^ 

 has made provision for the training in mine-gas test- 

 ing, of persons selected by the committee as prospec- 

 tive teachers of this subject. The Joint Agricultural 



