NATURE 



97 



THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1871 



THE CHAIRS OF SCIENCE IN THE 

 SCOTTISH UNIVERSITIES 



THE biographer of a Scottish Professor says (we fear 

 boastfully) that his friend had lectured on anatomy, 

 chemistry, physiology, pathology, medical jurisprudence, 

 and medicine, and that he was well qualified also to lecture 

 on botany, mineralogy, and geology. There were giants then 

 surely, but their day is past ; for the Professor of Natural 

 History in Glasgow University is just now trying to pro- 

 cure the erection of a new Chair, on the ground that geo- 

 logy or comparative anatomy is, either of them, as much 

 as he can effectively teach. Perhaps no better indication 

 of the enormous progress of Science during the last half 

 century could be found than the facts we have mentioned. 

 The earlier professor found his multifarious duties possible 

 because the subjects were very limited, and, in physiology, 

 chemistry, mineralogy, and geology, the means of investi- 

 gation were few. Now geology has outgrown the dimen- 

 sions of anatomy, as a teaching subject. The Chairs of 

 Natural History in Scotland, now only two in number, 

 those in Glasgow and Aberdeen (for Science is only pro- 

 vided for temporarily in St. Andrews at present at the 

 cost of Civil History), are remarkable foundations. There 

 is no clear notion what the Professors may not teach. 

 Custom has settled that geology and zoology shall be ex- 

 pected of them, and the Ordinances of the University 

 Commissioners act upon this tradition. But it is 

 doubtful if successful restraint could be put upon an 

 eccentric Professor who selected ethnology and meteoro- 

 logy as his topics. He would lose class fees ; but as he 

 holds from the Crown, and the Crown has not defined his 

 duties, he would be legally safe. Fortunately there has 

 been no attempt hitherto to act independently of Uni- 

 versity needs ; on the contrary, there have been from time 

 to time voluntary modifications of the class work, both 

 as regards the length of the courses and the subjects, so 

 as to meet the needs of students. But this very com- 

 plaisance has been injurious ; for, to take the case of 

 Glasgow, the Universities (Scotland) Act made zoology a 

 compulsory subject for medical students, and the Court 

 and Senate at a later date resolved to grant a degree in 

 Engineering Science (modestly calling it a certificate), re- 

 quiring geology as one of the subjects of examination. 

 Complete systematic courses were therefore indispens- 

 able, and the attempt to provide these has demonstrated 

 their impossibihty ; hence the present attempt to procure 

 a change. 



While sympathising with the Glasgow Professor, and 

 with his colleagues in Aberdeen and in Queen's Col- 

 lege, Ireland, we decline to discuss the question as one 

 of individual hardship, or even as detracting from 

 the efficiency of one or several Universities. The 

 existence of lectureships which profess to be scientific, 

 but which can only be popular if the work is equally 

 divided between the different subjects, is an evil which 

 demands a remedy, and Scotland cannot be indulged in 

 her fancy for multiple Chairs, as anatomy and botany, 

 logic and rhetoric, moral philosophy and political 

 economy, civil and Scots law. If the teacher has a strong 



VOL. V. 



bias in favour of either subject he will throw himself 

 into that and neglect the other, even though it forms 

 part of that curriculum for which a degree is granted. 

 Now, apart from the degradation of a scientific honour, the 

 lowering of the standard of scientific teaching is especially 

 to be guarded against at the present time. There are too 

 few inducements for young men to devote themselves to 

 Science as a life profession, still less encouragement do 

 they receive to devote their energies to one branch exclu- 

 sively. If our Universities continue to sanction average 

 teaching, it will be a substantial injury to education 

 throughout the country, and will put an end to that scientific 

 work upon which the progress of science and the reputa- 

 tion of the country ought to rest : for it cannot be expected 

 that a man whose ideas are frittered away by desultory 

 work can have either the inclination or the time for patient 

 continuous research. It is to be regretted that the 

 Scottish Universities are too poor to help themselves in 

 this matter. Private liberality has placed Edinburgh in 

 a right position ; geology and zoology being respectively 

 the entire occupation of Geikie and Wyville Thomson. 

 In Newcastle the new college has started wisely with one 

 subject, geology ; but it is to be hoped that zoology will 

 ere long be added as a separate professorship. In the 

 London colleges separate provision, such as it is, is made 

 for these two branches of Science, and even in the Uni- 

 versities which flippant so-called Radicals are wont to 

 denounce as effete, and to contrast unfavourably with their 

 Scottish sisters, there is provision for teaching as well as 

 for the teacher. 



It is in the interest of these and other bodies that 

 we urge the necessity of reforming Scottish Universities 

 in the matter of Science teaching. If they are per- 

 mitted to continue as at present, the good done by their 

 better equipped rivals will be diminished. It is a 

 mistake to suppose that one college is better off if the 

 teaching in another is defective ; that may happen for a 

 year or two, but in the end all suffer for the fault of one, 

 all are lowered in tone though they may not be brought 

 equally low. To maintain English teaching, Scottish 

 teaching must be raised. But as no funds exist on which 

 a just claim may be established for this purpose, private 

 generosity or the State purse are the only appeals. 

 Cabinet Ministers have been known to talk of Science as 

 having condemned itself if it is not self-supporting, and 

 in London there is a current opinion that Science is too 

 largely subsidised, comparatively speaking, north of the 

 Tweed. But it must be remembered that in Glasgow and 

 Aberdeen, even in Edinburgh, it is impossible, save in the 

 exceptional case of the director of the Scottish Survey, 

 to find a man quahfied for the post, and at the same time 

 deriving an adequate income from other sources ; for the 

 time is past when Science was the pursuit only of the 

 wealthy. It may not be sound in principle, but it is a 

 practical necessity for the State to endow Science in the 

 provinces ; failing that and failing local eftbrt, it would be 

 best, in the interests of sound education, to suppress the 

 starved chair altogether. But in the particular cases at 

 present under consideration there is a strong claim on the 

 State ; the chairs of Natural History are creations of the 

 Crown, and as circumstances have altered greatly since 

 their creation, it behoves the Crown to secure that its in- 

 tentions are fulfilled by making corresponding alterations. 



