December 20. 1894] 



NATURE 



189 



founded in 1824 'see Journal, vol. i. pp. 71, 129); the New 

 York Academy of Sciences ia continuation of the Lyceum of 

 Natural lli^tiiry) ; the National Academy of Science at Wash- 

 ington, founded in 1863 ; and the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science. Of these, the Philosophical 

 Society has published 29 volumes of its Transactions : the 

 American Academy, 26 volumes of Transaclioiis and 9 quarto 

 volumes of Memoirs; the Boston Society of Natural History, 

 25 volumes, at a cost of about 600 dols. per year ; the Academy 

 of Natural Science of Philadelphia, 48 volumes of Proceedings 

 and 12 quarto volumes of its Journal, at an average cost of 

 about 1000 dols. per year ; the Franklin Institute, 133 volumes 

 of lis, Journal : the New York Academy and its predecessor, 

 about 30 volumes of Transactions and Annals ; the Na'ional 

 Acadf my, 3 quarto volumes of Memoirs and some volumes of 

 Proceeilings : and the American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, about 40 volumps of Proceedings 



The latter society had in 1891 a "Research Fund" of 

 5254 dols. {Proceedings, 1891, p. 441.) None of the other 

 socitties, so far as I can find, has any fund specially devoted to 

 re-earch, or makes any specific appropriations therefor. The 

 National Academy and the Academy of Philadelphia have each 

 some funds for their support, and the latter also the Jes-up 

 Fund for students in science, on which the income is aliout 

 550 dols. yearly. The Philosophical Society from time to time 

 awards the prize established by John Hyacinth de Magellan in 

 1786— an oval gold plate "for the most useful discovery or 

 invention in navigation or science." One of the eailiest 

 awards of this prize was for painting lightning-rods with black 

 lead. 



The American Academy of Arts and Sciences awards a gold 

 and silver medal from a bequest of 5000 dols. made to ii by 

 Count Rumford, who in 1796 made a similar bequest to the 

 Royal Society. In l88S this prize was most worthily awarded 

 to Prof Michelson for his researches in light. ^ 



The Boston Society of Natural History has a general fund, of 

 which the income is about 6000 dols. It has al o a small 

 Walker prize fund and a grand prize fund, from which in 1S84 

 it awarded a grand prize of 1000 dols. to James Hall, of Albany, 

 **for his distinguished services to science." It also administers 

 the expenditure of about 2700 dols. a year for instruction in 

 laboratory work, drawn from the Boston University, and 

 1500 dols. from the Lowell Fund for the instruction of teachers." 



From this comparison of the voluntary associations, it appears 

 that the property, endowed funds, and equipment of the English 

 societies named are nearly tenfold greater than the American, 

 and their publications double; while for direct original research 

 our societies maintain no laboratories and no professors, as is 

 done by the Royal Institution. The English socitties distribute 

 yearly from 25,000 dols. to 30,000 dols. for from sixty to 

 seventy-five difierent scientific puiposes, while ours make no 

 such appropriations, simply becaus- they have no funds. To 

 supply this deficiency there is need ol large endowments. 



The publications of our societies are valuable ; the papers 

 have often been of a high character, rivalling those published 

 abroad. But the funds available for publication are insuffi- 

 cient ; it is always a ipiestion of means. There are a press and 

 surplus of valuable scientific matter, which cither is not printed 

 at all, or only gets printed by special subscriptions for the pur- 

 pose. This ouj;ht not lo be. After valuable original matter 

 has been produced with great pains and without hope of 

 pecuniary reward, nothing is more discouraging to future 

 research than that even publication can only be had as a 

 charity. This I know, from repeated personal applications, is 

 the condition of things in New York at this moment. It is n<it 

 creditable that, in a State and country like ours, there should 

 be practically nowhere adequate provision for even the pub- 

 lication of the re-e^rches of those who work for nothing but 

 their love of science and its progress. There is very gieat need 

 of a considerable pu''licaiion fund, in the hantis of some scientific 

 body, through which every valuable contiilnuion to science, not 

 otherwise provided for, might be ensured a speedy publication, 

 after it has been found worthy, as in the practice of the Linnican 

 Society, first by a criiical expert in the particular department, 

 and then by the council of publication.^ 



The stimulus, moreover, to scientific research that would be 

 imparted by the distribution of comparatively small sums, such 



* President t.ovcring's Address, Proceeding's, vol. xxiv. p. 380. 



- l'rocceiihtg;s, vol. xxiv. p. 14 



3 President Carrulhers, Proceedings, Lin. Sac, May 1893, p. 39. 



NO. 1312, VOL. 51] 



as are given by the Royal Society and by the British Associa- 

 tion, would also be very great ; nor is there any reason why the 

 founding of professorships for the express purpose of prosecut- 

 ing original research in our scientific societies, after the model 

 ol the Royal Institution, should not in time be followed by 

 results equally brilliant, and equally beneficial to mankind. 



I have endeavoured to point out three main directions in 

 which there is urgent need in this country of pecuniary endow- 

 ments. 



(1) In relief of professors during the transition of the colleges 

 from the schoolmaster system to the university sy-tem, whereby 

 all professors in science shall become actively enlisted in the 

 prosecution of original discovery as a part of their duties. 



(2) In providing for the future recruits in science, by more 

 endowments for post-graduate study. 



(3) By endowments of our scientific associations, both directly 

 to promote original research, and especially also to supply 

 larger means of publication. 



It is gratifying to perceive what beginnings have been recently 

 made in response to the needs of science. Only a short time 

 since, in 1S85, Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, of Stamford, Conn., 

 gave 25,000 dols. to a board of tru>tees of which Dr. Bowditch, 

 of Bosioii, is president, for the "advancement of scientific 

 research in its broadest sense." The income is annually dis- 

 tributed in sums of from two hundred to five hundred dollars. 



Mr. H dgkins, of Setauket, Long Island, has bequeathed to 

 the Smihsonian Institution 200.ooodol5., the income of one- 

 half of which is to be devoted to research into the properties 

 of atmospheric air. 



Columbia College has, during the year 1891, received from 

 Mr. Da Costa's estate, before referred to, 100, coo dols. for 

 biology ; Harvard, the Joseph Lovering Fund, above stated ; 

 lo.ocodols. from Henry Draper for the photography of stellar 

 spectra ; the endowments in archaeology, above named ; and 

 some smaller gifts for various scientific purposes. The Uni- 

 versity of Chicago and some other institutions have also received 

 important gifts, not to mention those yet to be realised to other 

 collrges from the estate of Mr. hairweather. 



By a beq lest of Charles Lenning, the Academy of 

 Sciences of Philadelphia will, in time, receive 20,000 dols. ; 

 while half a million of dollars will go to the University of 

 Pennsylvania in aid of instruction in theoretical and practical 

 mechanics, and 200,000 dols. to maintain schobrships. At this 

 Universiiy, also, a superb structure for the " Wistar institute 

 of Anatomy" is now building by General Isaac J. Wistar, at a 

 cost of about 200.000 dols., including endowments designed for 

 original research.' 



Our reliance in this country must be mainly upon private 

 endowments and the intelligent appreciation of the needs of 

 science. The national Guveinment has done, and is doing, 

 much in certain directions. But aside from the dispositions of 

 legis!ators, it is restricted by the provisions of the Federal 

 Constitution, and by delated questions of constitutional right. 

 State aid is not thus hanipertd ; but Stale aid is difficult to 

 obian, to any adequate degree, on account of the previous 

 habits, prejudices, and political training of the people. No 

 doubt this ought not so to be. The Stale of New York ought, 

 abstractly considered, to maintain one university of the first 

 class equal in every department lo any in the world. But the 

 multiplication of institutions already existing, local jealousies, 

 and aversion to State taxation, make this now probably im- 

 practicable. 



The remedy is with the people, and through their own volun- 

 tary methods. It is the people who have made our Govern- 

 ment, its institutions, its methods, and the great aggregate, 

 whatsoever it is, such as we see it to-day. Wealth is rapidly 

 accumulating ; much of it in the hands of those who, spring- 

 ing from the people, bear the love of the community in their 

 hearts ; and when they and the people at large shall come to see 

 that the cause of scientific advance and the discovery of all new 

 truth are in the deepest sense their cause, responses will, I 

 believe, coine to every urgent need ; until the work of the 

 people, by its own methods, shall, even in science, be able to 

 confront, without shame, the best work of the monarchies of 

 the Old World. 



1 Since the above was written an additional million of dollars lias been 

 given by Mr. John D. Rockefeller 10 the University of Lhicago, malting 

 3,6oo,ooodols given by him alone to that institution within less than three 

 ye.irs, a munificence hitherto unexampled in private cndowiiienls, some 

 portions «.f which, it is hoped, will be available for the maiDtenance of 

 original scientific research. 



