L ocal Institutions for Research. 2 1 5 



8t/t. Local Laboratories of Research. Another plan 

 would be for local scientific societies to raise money 

 by soliciting subscriptions and donations for the sup- 

 port of local laboratories ; a prospectus of the fol- 

 lowing kind being issued : 



PROPOSAL TO FOUND A LABORATORY OF PURE 

 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN . 



"As the manufacturers, merchants, capitalists, land- 

 owners, and the public generally, of this town and 

 district, have derived and are still deriving great 

 pecuniary and other benefits from the discovery of 

 new knowledge by means of pure research in the 

 sciences of Physics and Chemistry ; and as in conse- 

 quence of the great neglect of such research in this 

 country, and the increased cultivation of it in other 

 lands, our commerce is suffering, and a great many 

 evils in manufacturing and other operations-, in sani- 

 tary and many other matters dependant upon physical 

 and chemical conditions, remain unremedied ; it is 

 proposed to found a Local Laboratory of original 

 research in those sciences, with every suitable ap- 

 pliance in it; and to employ one or more investigators 

 of repute, with assistants, who shall be wholly engaged 

 in such labour in their respective sciences." 



As it is largely the custom in this country to effect 

 great objects by means of individual liberality and 

 corporate enterprise, instead of trusting to State 

 assistance, it is not improbable that when the 

 great importance of scientific research and its claims 



