April 5, 1894] 



NA TURE 



535 



prolonged training in German universities, and it is not 

 to be wondered at, therefore, that German methods have 

 found their way into our laboratories. Indeed, there are 

 some who appear to hold that, unless a method has a 

 German tag on it, it is not worth considering. These 

 hold, also, that the goal to strive for is the development of 

 a laboratory like the best in Germany. 



For many years Americans have been returning to 

 this country after having enjoyed the best opportunities 

 alTorded abro id. Each annual crop have at least one 

 thought in common, and that is, that chemistry in this 

 country is in a deplorable condition, and that their labours 

 are needed to bring about a reform. These young re- 

 formers are, of course, quite out of joint with the country, 

 and often render themselves incapable of bringing about 

 the results they desire, by refusing to recognise what is 

 good and endeavouring to build upon that. The true 

 and efficient reformer is a believer in continuity. Pro- 

 gress has always been by easy stages. The history of 

 chemistry in this country shows that there has been a 

 slow and steady advancement, and there is much pro- 

 mise in the present. 



We owe to Germany very largely the investigating 

 tendency which is showing itself more and more every 

 year, and while even now the amount of original work 

 done, as compared with that done abroad, is small, it is 

 quite natural that it should be so. 



A large part of the e.xperimental work in Germany 

 is done by advanced students and young chemists 

 who are waiting for positions. It is by the aid of the 

 former class especially that the professors work out 

 their problems. Now, the number of advanced students 

 of chemistry in this country is much smaller than in 

 Germany, and the same is true even to a still greater 

 degree of young chemists waiting for positions. In- 

 crease the number of these two classes here, and the 

 amount of investigating work will be increased accord- 

 ingly. But such increase must be determined largely 

 by the demand, and the demand for thoroughly trained 

 chemists is by no means as large as in Germany. The 

 most important reason for this has already been 

 spoken of. The value of these thoroughly trained 

 chemists in the industries has not yet been generally 

 recognised. Indeed, those particular industries in 

 which the aid of scientific chemists is specially needed 

 do not e.Kist to any great extent, so that there is very 

 little demand for such men. Most of the advanced 

 students are looking forward to teaching, and the 

 graduate departments in our universities must for years 

 to come look to these men for re-enforcement. Plainly, 

 the number of such students must be comparatively 

 limited, or the supply will exceed the demand. After 

 completing their regular courses these students must 

 secure occupation. The "bread and butter question" 

 is involved. But the number of places to be filled is 

 limited, and every year young men well fitted to take 

 good places are left, at least for a time, without means of 

 support, and all their efforts must go to securing 

 positions ; and, further, when they secure their places, 

 the conditions are for the most part unfavourable 

 to the carrying on of higher work, and although 

 many of them struggle manfully for a time to keep 

 up their enthusiasm, it gradually dies out for want 

 of nourishment. 



All this is discouraging, of course, to the advanced 

 students of chemistry, and to those who wish to study 

 chemistry, and thus the number is necessarily kept 

 down. It is a fair question whether the number of 

 graduates now studying chemistry is not unnaturally 

 large. However this may be, it is clear that, as the 

 amount of investigating work depends upon the num- 

 ber .of advanced students, the amount of this work must 

 of necessity be comparatively small. More could be 



NO. 1275, VOL. 49] 



done, no doubt, by teachers in colleges throughout the 

 land, and the amount done by these teachers is increas- 

 ing year by year, but it is difficult for them to secure 

 co-workers, and, with unaided hands, the amount of 

 chemical work that can be done by an individual is small. 



Some of the most active workers in Germany are, as 

 has been remarked, the young chemists, who are waiting 

 for positions. These form a comparatively large class of 

 picked men — men who have a strong tendency to inves- 

 tigation, and in some way see their way clear to at least 

 a sufficient income to " keep body and soul together." 

 Most of them have a hard struggle, though, on the other 

 hand, some are men of means, whose ambition is not 

 destroyed by the fact that they have fortunes. These 

 men, of course, are desirous of securing advancement, 

 and they know that their only chance lies in doing good 

 work. It is the tremendous competition among these 

 men that leads to the results for which Germany is 

 famed. 



Very well, you will say, if that is the secret, let us 

 have that system here. But that is the very thing we 

 cannot get. We may be able to secure a few able pro- 

 fessors, a number of bright advanced students, good 

 laboratories, and supplies, but this intermediate class 

 of active workers cannot be secured, save under condi- 

 tions that do not exist here, and are not likely to 

 exist here for many years to come. Abroad the university 

 career is one of the most attractive open to men ; a pro- 

 fessor is a very much respected member of the com- 

 munity, and his life is an unusually pleasant one. With- 

 out entering into a detailed comparison between the 

 university career in this country and abroad, we may 

 accept the general statement that this career exerts a 

 much stronger attraction upon students there than here. 

 Then, too, the opportunities m other fields are more 

 limited there, so that these two forces working together, 

 lead a number of the ablest young men to choose the 

 university career, and to face the great difficulties which 

 they know they will have to overcome before they attain 

 success. The first condition of that success is good work 

 done. There is absolutely no chance for one who does 

 not carry on investigation, nor for one who is lukewarm 

 in his work. The school is a merciless one, but the results 

 probably justify the means. 



What possibility is there of introducing this system 

 in this country ? Let the experiment be tried. Offer 

 young men of abihty the privilege of teaching in a 

 university and nothing else, and how many, think you, 

 will avail themselves of it ? Or if some few exceptional 

 men under most exceptional conditions should do so, 

 how long will they remain in the position.'' To keep 

 them it will be necessary to pay them at least enough to 

 live on, and then the very soul of the German system is 

 destroyed. In short, we have our own problems to work 

 out under conditions that we cannot control, and while 

 we may be inclined to regret that we cannot have all 

 that we should like to have ; while we in this generation 

 at least must necessarily be content to do with less 

 scientific work than those who have breathed the German 

 atmosphere have been accustomed to, there is pleasure 

 in working out new educational problems, and there is 

 satisfaction in causing the tree of knowledge to grow 

 where before it languished. We have a great field to 

 cultivate. It is fertile Labour expended upon it will 

 yield rich harvests. So let us to work. Those who 

 have been in the chemical field for years welcome the 

 new workers, and especially such a body of workers as 

 has been brought together in this University. May the 

 great activity in chemical work which has characterised 

 this University during its short life continue unabated. 

 The Kent Chemical Laboratory is already known of all 

 the world, even before its doors are open. May its 

 fame increase year by year. 



