54 



NATURE 



[May 19, 1898 



I have not been able to obtain the dimensions of the 

 building in Hanover, nor have 1 those of the site of the 

 Zurich Polytechnic. 



It will be seen at a glance how very inadequate is the 

 provision in London for the higher scientific and tech- 

 nical teaching, as compared with what is found in even a- 

 small German town. But, as has frequently been pointed 

 out, it is not only in the size and arrangements of the 

 buildings devoted to science, that we in England are so 



the sinews of war come not only from the tax-payers' 

 pockets, but equally, if not to a greater extent, from our 

 high schools of science. Advantage should be taken of 

 the avowed intention of the Government to extend the 

 Royal College of Science, to consider the wider but more 

 important question of the organisation of a faculty of 

 pure and applied science, in connection with the Uni- 

 versity of London, and of bringing together, for the 

 advantage of the same students, the various agencies for 

 the higher scientific training which are now scattered 

 and separated. Any change oj- extension that may be 

 now made in any one institution cannot fail to have an 

 important influence on university teaching in London, 

 and should be considered only in relation to the best 



Aachen. 



Darmstadt. 



Hanov 



Fig. 2. — Squares showing areas of sites. 



Chemn'tz. Stuttgart. Tech. Coll. 



Coll., of 



Lond. Science 

 Lond. 



far behind our German and Swiss neighbours, but also in ' 

 the organisation of the instruction.' In some of our best [ 

 schools at home each professor has to do the work of 

 three or four experts abroad. In a German university or ■ 

 polytechnic, there is a large staff of professors, each occu- ; 

 pied with a particular section of science, in which he is ' 

 specially interested, and presiding over a laboratory in i 

 which he has time and opportunity to make investiga- j 

 tions, with the view of advancing science in some one ' 

 direction. It is the combination -of professorial work 

 and the coordination of teaching that make the German 

 university or polytechnic so powerful a machine not only 

 for scientific training, but also for discovery and research. : 

 In London, unfortunately, we have too many separate 

 schools, each under-staffed, and each doing much the 

 same kind of work, and the professors are consequently 

 required to discharge a number of duties which are 

 wisely divided in Germany among separate specialists. 

 The multiplication of the schools, and the overlapping of 

 the functions of the teachers stand in the way of any 



possible arrangements for developing and improving the 

 joint facilities which London now offers for scientific 

 education of the highest grade. Philip Magnus. 



THE SCIENCE BUILDINGS AT SOUTH 

 KENSINGTON. 

 T N Nature for May 5 we printed the report of the 

 ■^ Select Committee of the House of Commons which 

 has recently been inquiring into the Museums of the 

 Science and Art Department, relating to the recent pro- 

 posal of the Government to build the new laboratories 

 for the Royal College of Science on the east side of 

 Exhibition Road. \Ve have received for publication the 

 following memorial recently presented to Lord Salisbury 

 by Lord Lister, the President of the Royal Society, which 

 has been signed by the president and officers, all the 

 living past presidents, and many fellows of the Society, 

 entirely endorsing the views of the Select Committee, 

 and urging the Government to refrain from a step which 

 is not only contrary to the policy which has been pursued 

 for the last ten years, but which, if carried out, would 

 make the allocation of land at South Kensington for 



Aachen. Stuttgart. Darmstadt. Chem- Tech. Coll. 

 nitz. Coll , of 



Lond. Science, 

 Lond. 

 -Squares showing areas of buildings. 



organisation on broad lines of the higher scientific edu- 

 cation in London. It appears that a much-needed 

 extension of the Royal College of Science at South 

 Kensington is now under consideration ; and it is 

 understood that a more ample site than was originally 

 suggested will be provided for the new buildings on 

 the west side of Exhibition Road, which will bring 

 the Royal College of Science in closer proximity to 

 the Central Technical College. This is as it should be. 

 It is to be hoped, however, that no hasty and half 

 measures will now be adopted. In these days of military 

 and naval expenditure it may be well to point out that 



Science and .Art purposes respectively ridiculous. Nor 

 is this all. So far as science and science teaching is con- 

 cerned, we should be landed in a position far inferior to 

 that occupied by such towns as Gratz, Chemnitz, or 

 Aachen, not to speak of some chief cities of the Con- 

 tinent, Berlin, Vienna, Paris. 



Memorial to the Most Honourable the Marquis of 

 Salisbury, K.G., F.R.S., Premier and Secretary of 

 State for Foreign Affairs. 

 I. Whereas in 1890 Parliament voted io3,odd/. for the 



purchase of a site at South Kensington upon which to 



NO. 



1490, VOL. 58] 



