60 PROGRESS OF SCIENCE IN THE CENTURY. 



scientific academies and scientific professors, seems 

 sound common sense, and that it would be the better 

 for science, as well as for the community, if this were 

 oftener called into exercise seems equally obvious. 



We have illustrated our point by reference to the 

 need for contact with the practical problems of life ; 

 but a strong case could also be made for the advantage 

 which science would gain by endeavouring at least to 

 understand the point of view of the artist and the 

 philosopher. 



Secondly, the progressivenesa of science depends 

 upon a fuller realisation of what we have called the 

 unity of science. Mineralogy and petrography have 

 acquired new vitality and greatly enhanced impor- 

 tance since they became definitely chemical; the 

 method of spectrum analysis has brought astronomy 

 from a position of isolation into intimate contact 

 with chemistry and physics; the recent development 

 of physical chemistry is another instance of happy 

 and fruitful union; since physiologists called 

 chemists to their aid physiological chemistry has bo- 

 come so important that what used to be relegated to 

 an appendix in a physiological treatise now pervades 

 the whole book ; psychology has listened to biological 

 results; and the indebtedness of social science to 

 biology and the physical sciences is admitted by most 

 to be of value, though the contact is still only in- 

 cipient 



But while this and more may be said of actual co- 

 operation, it remains necessary to point out that 

 many workers, and many departments of this or 

 the other science, continue to flounder along, where- 

 as they might swim swiftly if they condescended to 

 take assistance and instruction from their fellow- 

 travellers. After all, the current is not so swift, 



