II BIOLOGY AND THE STATE 73 



this country are accustomed to declare as a justifica- 

 tion for this neglect that we do very well without such 

 provision, inasmuch as the cultivation of science here 

 flourishes in the hands of those who are in a position 

 of pecuniary independence. The reply to this is obvi- 

 ous. If those few of our countrymen who by accident 

 are placed in an independent position show such ability 

 in the prosecution of scientific research, how much 

 more would be effected in the same direction were the 

 machinery provided to enable those also who are not 

 accidentally favoured by fortune to enter upon the same 

 kind of work ? The number of wealthy men who have 

 distinguished themselves in scientific research in Eng- 

 land is simply evidence that there is a natural ability 

 and liking for such work in the English character, and 

 is a distinct encouragement to those who have it in 

 their power to do so to offer the opportunity of devot- 

 ing themselves to research to a larger number of the 

 members of the community. It is impossible to doubt 

 that there are hundreds of men amongst us who have 

 as great capacity for scientific discovery as those whom 

 fortune has favoured with leisure and opportunity. 

 It cannot be doubted that, were the means 

 provided to enable even a proportion of such 

 men to give themselves up to scientific investiga- 

 tion, great discoveries, of no less importance to 

 the world than those relative to the causes of 

 disease and the development of living things 

 from the egg which I have cited, would be 

 made as a direct consequence of their activity, 

 whereas now we must wait until in due course 



