100 LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 



to him, they did not leave sufficient scope to personal 

 initiative and to the development of individuality, 

 two factors which he considered as essential to every 

 progress. 



He looked upon scientific work as his mission, and 

 avoided politics because he did not think himself 

 competent to deal with them. But scientific activity 

 being closely limited by the state of the University, 

 which was badly oppressed at that time by re- 

 actionary powers, he was led to take part in the 

 defence of the University's right to autonomy. He 

 brought all his energies into the struggle, though 

 trying to keep from party tactics and to act purely 

 in the interests of science. For instance, he would 

 vote either for a Eadical or a Conservative without 

 sharing the opinions of either, but merely guided by 

 their scientific value. 



At the beginning of his scientific career at Odessa 

 he led a very active campaign in favour of the teaching 

 of Natural Science. He urged that, in order to teach 

 properly, Natural History professors should them- 

 selves have made independent researches on living 

 fauna and flora, and tried to introduce a series of 

 measures to allow biologists special holidays and 

 missions to desirable places, at the proper seasons, for 

 research purposes. " There is no doubt," he said, 

 " that scientific activity would be much increased if 

 the proposed measures were adopted. Then, before 

 long, our young scientists would not need to go to 

 study in German universities, but could go abroad 

 already prepared to undertake independent research." 

 The Commission which examined his report demanded 

 certain modifications, " because of the Imperial in- 

 junction to be very strict in granting travelling 



