42 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[February 1, 1897. 



number of fifty-guinea subscribers, called proprietors, were 

 thus obtained. A house in Albemarle Street was bought, 

 and its apartments were transformed into lecture rooms, 

 model rooms, library, offices, etc. Its objects were for the 

 purpose of diffusing knowledge, and facilitating the general 

 and speedy introduction of new and useful mechanical 

 inventions and improvements ; and also the teaching, by 

 regular courses of philosophical lectures and experiments, 

 the application of the new discoveries in science to the 

 improvement of arts and manufactures, and in facilitating 

 the means of pro- 

 curing the comforts 

 and conveniences 

 of life. 



Just now, when 

 the Government is 

 about to be asked 

 toprovidea Nation- 

 al Patent Museum 

 from the immense 

 funds netted from 

 fees paid by appli- 

 cants for letters pa- 

 tent at the Patent 

 OiKce, it may be 

 interesting to know 

 that the same idea 

 was conceived, and, 

 to some extent, car- 

 ried into effect, pri- 

 vately, a century 

 ago at the Royal 

 Institution. It was 

 part of Rumford's 

 plan to collect all 

 manner of ap- 

 pliances together, 

 including " that 

 curious and useful 

 machine, the steam 

 engine," so that 

 anyone desirous of 

 making headway 

 in the arts and in- 

 dustries might have 

 opportunities of stu- 

 dying the latest in- 

 ventions gathered, 

 not only from all 

 parts of England, 

 but also from 

 foreign countries. 

 Since then, some- 

 thing has been 

 done at South 

 Kensington in the 

 way of practically illustrating the progress of invention, 

 but it is far from what it ought to be, and inconveniently 

 situated for those immediately concerned. 



Ever since the time (1812) when Liebig came over from 

 Germany as a sort of scientific missionary, and lectured in 

 London and the chief provincial towns on the applications 

 of chemistry to agricultm-e, etc., we have been accustomed 

 to the theme of technical education, the blessings of which 

 have been dinned into our ears by men of all denomi- 

 nations, ranks, and professions ; and only within the last 

 few years have the concessions prayed for been conceded. 

 But although Liebig, backed up by Playfair and others, 

 gave a great impetus to the movement which has 



SiATUB OF Michael Fauadav : Enteance Hall, Hotai, Instiiuiio>-. 



terminated so gloriously, it is not to him or his contem- 

 poraries that we must look for the source of the current. 

 Referring again to the schemes of the projectors of the 

 Royal Institution, we read : " It is intended to educate a 

 number of mechanics sent by the proprietors of the Insti- 

 tution. At first all will learn the same elementary 

 principles, but afterwards they will branch off according 

 to their several trades — bricklayers, joiners, tinmen, iron- 

 plate workers — in conformity with their needs." In a 

 large room, on the ground floor, they built up, for practice, 



chimneys and fire- 

 places of all kinds 

 in a slight manner, 

 pulled them down 

 again, and built 

 up others. Models 

 of various culinary 

 vessels were made 

 from ideas of Count 

 Rumford, and were 

 put in the model 

 room for the inspec- 

 tion of the public. 

 Dinners were 

 cooked in the Insti- 

 tution, and people 

 were invited to 

 witness the opera- 

 tions involved and 

 to test the quality 

 of the products. It 

 requires no great 

 effort of the im- 

 agination to see in 

 these words the 

 perfect images of 

 the modern techni- 

 cal college and 

 school of cookery. 

 Indeed, the ideas 

 advanced by these 

 pioneers of applied 

 science are as 

 clearly enunciated 

 anil as accurately 

 formulated as those 

 put forward by the 

 leading men of our 

 own day ; and the 

 words of Rumford, 

 uttered in the last 

 century , are as preg- 

 nant with thought 

 and as applicable 

 now to the future 

 as if they had been 

 spoken at the opening of the Davy-Faraday Laboratory : 

 " In estimating the probable usefulness of this Institution, 

 we must not forget the public advantages that will be 

 derived from the general diffusion of experimental investi- 

 gation and improvement among the ranks of society. 

 When the rich shall take pleasure in contemplating and 

 encouraging such mechanical improvements as are really 

 useful, good taste — with its inseparable companion, good 

 morals — will revive, rational economy wUl become fashion- 

 able, industry and ingenuity will be honoured and 

 rewarded, and the pursuits of all the various classes of 

 society will then tend to promote the public prosperity." 

 Rumford, from the outset, threw himself with great zeal 



