October 7, 1897] 



NA TURE 



559 



muscles and brain ; objectively, the attainment of some useful 

 object. Such knowledge was called skill or art, and the man 

 who attained it was a skilled workman, an artisan, an artist, a 

 master of his craft. The continuity of this kind of knowledge 

 depended on tradition, and its improvement was by invention. 

 Its acquirement was called technical education ; its results were 

 seen in the products of agriculture which feed us, in the ships 

 md railroads which carry us round the globe, in the triumphs 

 t steam and electricity, of preventive medicine and antiseptic 

 urgery, in the matchless steel, the wondrous armour-plates, and 

 ill the vast output of the skilful industry of Sheffield. But 

 liere was another kind of knowledge — the desire for which 

 L.^me later in human history — the knowledge of what things 

 mean, of how they consist, of why one event follows 

 another. This knowledge was not active, but contemplative, 

 not practical, but theoretical, not technical, but scientific. 

 Its end was purely intellectual ; subjectively, the pleasure of 

 exerting the mental powers ; objectively, the truth about 

 things. We call this knowledge science ; that is, not only 

 acquaintance with the objects around us, or natural history 

 (descriptive botany, zoology, mineralogy, geology, astronomy, 

 iiid anatomy), but also some insight into their constitution and 

 growth, into the laws of their origin, their actions, their decay 

 and metamorphoses. This was called natural philosophy. Its 

 improvement depended, not on invention of tools and methods, 

 but on discovery of facts and their relations. It was only indi- 

 rectly useful, and the pleasure it gave was in proportion to the 

 intelligence of the man who felt it : " Felix tjiii potiiit reruiii 

 lOi^'^iioscere caiisas.''' The abstract sciences seem to have arisen 

 out of the needs of useful arts— geometry out of measuring the 

 rising of the Nile, arithmetic out of counting the hosts of a Per- 

 sian despot or the gains of an Indian money-lender, trigonometry 

 out of setting landmarks, chemistry out of the alchemist's search 

 after gold, botany out of materia medica, and anatomy out of 

 surgery. Amply has the debt been repaid. At the present 

 time all the progress in useful arts was called "scientific," and 

 rightly so, for all depended upon natural science. Agriculture 

 rested on the basis of organic chemistry, geology, and botany, 

 navigation on astronomy, the working of metals on physics and 

 chemistry, engineering on mathematics, medicine on physiology, 

 and if ever the art of governing mankind was to be more than 

 empirical, it would rest on profound knowledge of paleontology 

 and neuro-physiology. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge. — On October i, the first day of the Michaelmas 

 term. Dr. Alex Hill, Master of Downing, was formally admitted 

 to the office of Vice-Chancellor. The retiring Vice-Chancellor 

 delivered an address to the Senate, in which he reviewed the 

 events of the past academical year. The emphatic rejection of 

 the proposals in reference to degrees for women rendered it 

 probable that some years must elapse before the University 

 would grant any further rights or privileges to women students. 

 The statement published last term by the Chancellor, as to the 

 pressing financial needs of the University, had already led to 

 one munificent gift of 2000/., and it was hoped that this would 

 be followed by others. Valuable donations to the museums and 

 laboratories were acknowledged. Among new appointments 

 were included the Professorship of Mental Philosophy, the 

 Gilbey Lectureship in Agriculture, the Lectureship in the Ilausa 

 Language, and the Lectureship in Physiological Psychology. 



The death of Prof. C. S. Roy, F.R.S., who has filled the 

 chair of Pathology since 1884, took place on October 4. The 

 late professor has been incapacitated by serious illness for over 

 a year, but his death was somewhat sudden. The department 

 has been superintended during his prolonged absence by Dr. 

 Kanthack, of St. John's College, the deputy-professor. 



It is stated in Science that the plans are well formulated for 

 the proposed new physical laboratory of Dartmouth College, 

 New Hampshire, the result of the 75,000 dollars bequest of the 

 late Mr. Charles T. Wilder. The committee has set apart 

 50,000 dollars for its erection and 20,000 dollars for main- 

 tenance. Additional grants have been made for an observatory, 

 the foundations for which will be laid at once. 



NO. 1458. VOL. 56] 



Prof. G. B. Howes presided at the annual meeting for the 

 distribution of the prizes gained by the students of the West- 

 minster Hospital Medical School, on Thursday last. Reference 

 was made in the report, read by the Dean of the College, to 

 the resignation by Dr. Dupre of the post of lecturer on chemistry 

 after thirty-three years' service, and it was stated that he had 

 been succeeded by Dr. Wilson Hake. The entrance natural 

 science scholarship, value 60/., was awarded to Mr. K. C. 

 Whitehead, and the entrance scholarship of 40/. to Mr. F. D. 

 Martyn. 



Mr. R. C. CHRisTiEhas given to Owens College, Manchester, 

 the whole of his share of the estate of the late Sir Joseph 

 Whitworth, as residuary legatee. It is estimated that the value 

 of the gift is 50,000/. Mr. Christie has expressed the desire 

 that the sum should be devoted to the erection of such buildings 

 as the governors should think fit in connectitm with the 

 college, only stipulating that the name of Sir Joseph Whit- 

 worth may be associated with the new buildings, and that they 

 may be accepted and treated as a further gift from him to the 

 college. It is also announced that two friends of the college have 

 given sums respectively of 20,000/. for the erection of a physical 

 laboratory and 5000/. for the maintenance of it ; also that Mr. 

 Edward Holt, of Manchester, has sent a cheque for 1500/. 

 towards the erection of a museum at the college. Mr. Christie's 

 fund will probably be devoted first of all to the erection of a 

 hall for ceremonial and other large gatherings at the college. 



Many of the syllabuses of the subjects in which examinations 

 are held by the Department of Science and Art have been modi- 

 fied. As already announced, the examinations in the honours 

 stage of most of the science subjects will in future be divided 

 into two grades : Part I. of a more advanced character than the 

 advanced stage ; and Part II. dealing with the highest branches 

 of the subject. The honours portions of the syllabuses of most 

 of the subjects have been re-written in consequence of this 

 new regulation. The syllabuses of naval architecture, applied 

 mechanics, and general biology (Section I. ) have been entirely 

 re-written. Prof. J. Perry is now an examiner with Mr. W. H. 

 Greenwood in applied mechanics, and the new syllabus of the 

 subject gives unmistakable evidence that he has had much to do 

 with its composition. Prof. Perry has also been appointed an 

 examiner in steam ; and Dr. Fream has been appointed an 

 examiner in agriculture. Prof. L. C. Miall's new syllabus of 

 an introductory course of biology should be seen by all who are 

 interested in the teaching of the subject. 



The new Directory of the Department of Science and Art has 

 just been published. Many modifications have been made, both 

 in the regulations for conducting science and art schools and 

 classes, and in the syllabuses of the subjects recognised by the De- 

 partment. We can only refer to a few of the changes. It is an- 

 nounced for the first time that recognition may be refused toany 

 class which the Department considers to be unnecessary, or to 

 compete unduly with a neighbouring school. This regulation 

 will probably be the means of reducing the undesirable competi- 

 tion which otten exists between science classes near one another. 

 Schools may now be managed by a public company, provided 

 that the articles of association specify 5 per cent, per annum 

 as the maximum dividend. Counties and county boroughs 

 which possess an organisation for the promotion of secondary 

 education may elect to be responsible to the Department for the 

 science and art instruction within its area. In such case grants 

 will in general only be made to the managers of new schools 

 and classes if they are acting in unison with the local 

 authority. 



A large building, in which the art and technical schools of 

 Leicester will be incorporated, was opened by the Bishop of 

 London on Tuesday. The cost of the new buildings and site is 

 just under 40,000/. The site extends to nearly three-quarters of 

 an acre, and the main frontage is 220 feet, with an elevation of 

 four stories. Two ol the floors are devoted to technical instruc- 

 tion in hosiery and boot and shoe manufacture, with a full com- 

 plement of all kinds of old and new machinery showing the 

 development of the processes of manufacture, engineering, 

 plumbmg, dyeing, {.minting, &c. The two upper floors will be 

 occupied by the school, of arts. A portion of the roof of the 

 building is flat, and on this a conservatory has been erected for 

 studies of plant-life. At the opening ceremony Sir Thomas 

 Wright, chairman of the committee, stated that the whole of the 

 funds for the new building would be provided out of the excise 



