NEW CHAPTERS IN THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE. 27 



in natural science, thrown its weight against Newton in the phys- 

 ical sciences, and wrecked Turgot's noble plans for a system of 

 public instruction the French nation decreed the establishment 

 of the most thorough and complete system of higher instruction 

 in science ever known. It was kept under lay control, and became 

 one of the glories of France ; but, emboldened by the restoration 

 of the Bourbons in 1815, the Church began to undermine this 

 hated system, and in 1808 had made such progress that all was 

 ready for the final assault. 



Foremost among the leaders of the besieging party was the 

 Bishop of Orleans, Dupanloup, a man of many winning charac- 

 teristics and of great oratorical power. In various ways, and 

 especially in an open letter, he had fought the "materialism" of 

 science at Paris, and especially were his attacks leveled at Profs. 

 Vulpian and S^e, and the Minister of Public Instruction, Duruy, a 

 man of great merit, whose only crime was devotion to the im- 

 provement of education, and to the promotion of the highest re- 

 search in science.* 



The main attack was made rather upon biological science than 

 upon physics and chemistry, yet it was clear that all were involved 

 together. 



The first onslaught was made in the French Senate, and the 

 storming party in that body was led by a venerable and conscien- 

 tious prelate, Cardinal de Bonnechose, Archbishop of Rouen. It 

 was charged by him and his party that the tendencies of the 

 higher scientific teaching at Paris were fatal to religion and mo- 

 rality. Heavy missiles were hurled such phrases as " sapping 

 the foundations," etc., " breaking down the bulwarks," etc., and, 

 withal, a new missile was used with much effect the epithet 

 " materialist." 



The results can be easily guessed : crowds came to the lecture- 

 rooms of the attacked professors, and the lecture-room of Prof. 

 SeX the chief offender, was crowded to suffocation. 



A siege was begun in due form. A young physician was sent 

 by the cardinal's party into the heterodox camp as a spy. Having 

 heard one lecture of Prof. See, he returned with information that 

 seemed to promise easy victory to the besieging party; he 

 brought a terrible statement one that seemed enough to over- 

 whelm Sde, Vulpian, Duruy, and the whole hated system of 

 public instruction in France the statement that Se had denied 

 the existence of the human soul. 



Good Cardinal Bonnechose seized the tremendous weapon. 

 Rising in his place in the Senate, he launched a most eloquent 

 invective against the Minister of State who could protect such a 



* For Dupanloup, Lettre a un Cardinal, see the Revue de Therapeutique of 1868, p. 221. 



