comstock] influence of nature-study idea 7 



the world and its organisms, there would also be stages in the study 

 of the same. The universities can afford to wait for their enlight- 

 enment to develop. 



Unfortunately this state of things was not confined to universi- 

 ties, for the pupils trained in these institutions of learning 

 went forth to teach in the secondary schools, and carried with 

 them the cult of cutting. 



Thus it was that nature-study in its infancy found the Man with 

 the Microtome occupying the field to its outermost boundaries. 

 And this Man liked nothing better than to spank the infant on 

 every possible occasion, because he considered it not worthy of 

 rearing. But spanking does not kill the healthy young; and 

 our infant did not howl when whacked, — ^it just went some- 

 where else and kept on growing. As long as it was merely spanked 

 all was well; but as it grew into blooming childhood, the Man 

 with the Microtome joined with whatever Species-hunters there 

 were left, and the two forthwith proceeded to inoculate Nature- 

 Study, with a combined virus which nearly caused the untimely 

 death of the victim. The attempt to reduce science as such 

 to child's size and call it nature-study did more to damage the 

 cause than any other single factor. 



Just here most opportunely a reaction set in against the Man 

 with the Microtome. Some brave souls dared to arise and declare 

 that an animal would not have had any organs to be made into 

 microtomic ribbons, if it had not had use for these organs; and 

 therefore it might be well to discover their use as well as their 

 structure. These revolutionists hastened to name themselves 

 "Ecologists" not daring to wait to be christened by the oligarcy 

 of the laboratories. 



The Ecologists at once came to the aid of nature-study, for 

 ecology is merely nature-study grown to robust middle age. 

 The work of the Species-hunter and the work of the Man with 

 the Microtome were both of use to the Ecologist for he took their 

 results into the field with him and used them in discovering how 

 manifold life was affected in its development and habits by its 

 environment. The Ecologist was fired with the nature-study 

 idea and he had come to stay; but he was slow in making his 

 influence felt in the laboratories of the universities and more so 

 in the secondary schools. It took too much time to work out 

 the problems of the interdependence of life; it was much easier 

 to catch something, chloroform it, and cut it into sections. 



