Oct. 25, 1883] 



NA TURE 



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tion in the hierarchy of learning by the original researches 

 he carries out. To succeed under these circumstances, a 

 man must discover something which is a real addition to 

 knowledge; and to do this, he must be thoroughly 

 familiar with all that has been previously accomplished 

 in his field. Moreover, to advance beyond his peers, the 

 investigator must utilise every possible extraneous ad- 

 vantage ; more especially must he have a mastery over 

 the methods to be employed, and be familiar with all 

 rovelties and refinements therein. It cannot be gainsaid 

 that these requirements are more fully answered in 

 C.ermany than anywhere else. It is certain that, ex- 

 rerting of course a small minority, German scientific 

 publications always contain something really new, and 

 unknown before : each article is a scientific progress, 

 which, however slight, still brings an actual increment to 

 our store of information. Another result of this profes- 

 sional thoroughness is equally striking and characteristic. 

 Being fully posted as to the status of his department, the 

 German often displays a singularly just and keen appre- 

 ciation of what problems are for the moment best worth 

 studying, as being open for solution, and leading to 

 something farther, or else filling a gap left. He is thus 

 enabled to render his work efficient. It is sad to think 

 how much scientific work is wasted because the labour is 

 not wisely directed. 



In German scientific writings the excellence of the 

 matter usually contrasts vividly with the defective style 

 and presentation. Indeed, the Germans, despite the 

 superiority of their modern literature, are awkward 

 writers, and too often slovenly in literary composition. 

 Conciseness and clearness are good qualities, which may 

 assuredly be attained by the expenditure of thought and 

 pains ; but these the German investigator seems unwilling, 

 in many cases, to bestow upon his pen-work, but follows 

 the easier plan of great diffuseness. Besides this, another 

 defect is not uncommon, — the ill-considered arrangement 

 of the matter. This occurs in all degrees, from a well- 

 nigh incredible confusion, to be sometimes found even in 

 elaborate and important essays, to a slightly illogical 

 order. In this regard, a curious and not infrequent 

 variety of this fault deserves mention. According to the 

 headings of the chapters or sections, the division of 

 topics is perfect ; but under each head the matters are 

 tumbled together as if a clerk was contented to stuff his 

 papers in anyhow, if only he crammed them into the 

 right pigeon- hole. 



Speaking broadly, the German mind lacks conspicuously 

 the habits of clearness and order. There have been cele- 

 brated exceptions, but they were individual. The nation 

 regards itself as having a decidedly philosophical bent, 

 meaning a facility at taking broad and profound views of 

 the known. We venture to contradict this opinion, doing 

 it advisedly. Their profundity is mysticism, their breadth 

 vagueness, yet a good philosopher must think clearly. It 

 is a remarkable but little heeded fact, that Germany has 

 not contributed her share to the generalisations of 

 science : she has produced no Linr.e', Darwin, Lyell, 

 Lavoisier,, or Descartes, each of whom bequeathed to 

 posterity a new realm of knowledge, although she has 

 given to the world grand results by the accumulated 

 achievements of her investigators. The German's im- 

 perfect sense of humour is another obstacle which besets 

 him on every path. He is cut off from the perception of 

 some absurdity, like that of Kant's neumcrion, for 

 instance. One cannot explain this to him : it were 

 easier to explain a shadow to the sun, who always sees 

 the lighted side. To state the whole epigrammatically, 

 German science is the professional investigation of 

 detail, slowly attaining generalisations. 



English science is the opposite of this,— amateurish 

 rather than professional. Some might call it insular, 

 j et we should hardly join them in so doing. In fact, the 

 professional investigator has hardly been a recognised 



character in the English social organisation : until 

 recently he was barely acknowleged, even by the univer- 

 sities, which sought instructors who knew and could 

 teach, who might investigate and discover in a subsidiary, 

 and, as it were, unofficial way. A large number of English 

 scientific men were disconnected from the universities 

 and colleges after their own student years, and were half 

 or wholly amateurs ; and their writings show the effects 

 of this separation, not always, to be sure, but in many 

 cases with painful evidence, by a lack of thoroughness, an 

 imperfect acquaintance with other investigations, and a 

 failure to grasp the essential part of the problem : in 

 brief, such writings appear behindhand and superficial. 

 Yet amid these poorer productions are to be found a 

 right goodly number of the best scientific articles we pos- 

 sess in any language. Of late years the proportion of the 

 good has steadily increased, and investigation is now 

 more correctly appreciated than ever before. Indeed 

 there is no more encouraging event in the recent progress 

 of science than the sudden elevation of the standard of 

 original research in England. The English are trained 

 writers : their scientific articles excel the German in 

 literary merit, being seldom slovenly either in arrange- 

 ment or style, and rarely wearisome from sheer diffuse- 

 ness. Very noteworthy is the fertility in generalisations 

 of the English : this is with them the outcome of indi- 

 vidual endowments, a single master attaining a broad 

 conclusion— a process of individual effort quite unlike the 

 German democratic method of generalising by the ac- 

 cumulations of many. Is it too much to say that the 

 English and Scotch are the Greeks of modern philo- 

 sophy ? 



French science is decidedly provincial : it is apart, 

 having only an imperfect, uncertain acquaintance with 

 the great world outside, and its international interests of 

 original research. The French have lagged far behind 

 the great movements of recent years. Consider only 

 how backward they have been in the comprehension and 

 acceptance of the Darwinian theory ; and remember, too, 

 that it were wiser to take out the mainspring from a 

 watch than to eliminate evolution from biology. French 

 scientific articles are well written, the matter is admirably 

 classified, it is all very clear. The keen, artistic sense of 

 the nation displays itself here ; but it also deludes them 

 into presenting a rounded survey of a greater field than is 

 demanded by the actual discoveries they report. To 

 satisfy this vearning for artistic completeness, elaborate 

 and tedious 'disquisitions, and hackneyed principles, and 

 facts long known, are interpolated ; and even worse may 

 be, when the imagination helps to create the complete- 

 ness. Most scientific men harbour a little distrust of 

 French work. This sentiment is further fostered by the 

 almost systematic neglect of German research on the p it 

 of the French. Such a frank exhibition of rancour makes 

 one suspect the impartiality of the French in science 

 generally : indeed, we believe that science has never been 

 so depressed in France as at present. Italy is above her ; 

 but Italy, with all her innate ability, is striving to learn 

 from Germany, and has already risen high, and will rise 

 higher. We trust and believe that the present phase of 

 French science which abounds in inefficient work will 

 soon end, and the people terminate their present voluntary 

 isolation The French stay at home : they used to travel 

 abroad much. Let us hope that they will soon resume 

 their ancient habit, and, above all. that they will re- 

 establish mental intercourse with foreigners. There are 

 savants in France who are esteemed throughout the scien- 

 tific world : may their number rapidly increase ! 



America's contributions to pure science are by no means 

 very extensive, or often very important : compared with 

 the great volume of German production, they seem almost 

 insignificant. We have never duly fostered research, for 

 we have bestowed upon it neither the proper esteem nor 

 office. There are, we suppose, at least six thousand 



