1 74 Objections to State A id: A nswers to them. 



in this country requiring new knowledge to remedy 

 them* also prove that there are not " plenty of ama- 

 teurs ready and willing to assist in research here," or 

 that " the researches may be very well left to them." 



Whilst some investigators have had abundant means 

 to carry on research, and have excelled in that occu- 

 pation, many of the most eminent have been persons 

 of limited circumstances ; and their insufficient pecun- 

 iary means has often restricted their degree of success. 

 The argument also that insufficiency of means stimu- 

 lates research, is only employed by persons who are 

 not making investigations under such a condition. 



The President of the Royal Society, Dr. Spottis- 

 woode, in his recent address,')' also remarked : " The 

 question has been raised whether it be wise, even in 

 the interests of science, to encourage any one not yet 

 of independent income, to interrupt the main business 

 of his life. It is too often assumed that a profession 

 or a business may be worked at half speed, or may be 

 laid down and taken up again, whenever we like. But 

 this is not so, and a profession temporarily, or even 

 partially laid aside, may prove irrecoverable, and the 

 temptation to diverge from the dull and laborious path 

 of business may prove to have been a snare." Each of 

 these remarks appears to be made upon the assump- 

 tion that it is still a doubtful question whether persons 

 qualified for research should be encouraged or not to 

 abandon occupations they reluctantly follow, and for 

 which they are less fitted, in order to become scientific 



* See page 68, et seq. p. 134. 



t See " Nature," Dec. and, 1880, p. 11.2. 



