8o THE PLACE OF SCIENCE IN 



should be in the life of a country such as this. I have found 

 in the province where I spent my time in the first instance 

 a widespread belief that science is a good thing. I have 

 found a great deal of teaching in schools and colleges and 

 increasing tendency to supply such teaching. I know of very 

 notable instances in India of great endowments given to the 

 cause of science, such as the well-known establishment, origin- 

 ally due to the Tata family, in Bangalore, and a similar 

 endowment in Calcutta ; while in Bombay itself there are 

 also striking examples of the generosity of the private citizen 

 as well as of the Government. I have also found in the 

 Punjab a certain amount of research work of a scientific kind 

 in progress by Englishmen and very little indeed by Indians. 

 Then I have also found some very imposing examples of the 

 application of science to public health and agriculture, not 

 only in the Punjab but all over India. 



In addition to these things, if I am to be perfectly frank, 

 I must acknowledge to have observed what I consider to be 

 a good deal of wrong thinking or wrong doing, or not doing 

 at all, that might be rectified by the proper application of 

 science. And lastly, I found here, as I am bound to admit 

 I have found in the West, a very widespread ignorance of 

 what science is and what science can do. 



Now the aims, the methods, the achievements, the functions, 

 and the possibilities of science have been often stated. Through- 

 out the nineteenth century, science by science I mean 

 natural science was really emerging and fighting for its 

 existence ; and incidentally to that fight its claims were 

 frequently stated stated with far greater force and eloquence 

 than I can hope to command, stated not infrequently in a tone 

 of considerable aggressiveness. If you wish to read of what 

 science may be in relation to education you will find no 

 more eloquent, no more complete, I will not say no more 

 perfect, but at any rate no more striking a plea than 



