308 
NATURE 
[JANUARY 28, 1904 
were at last to be given over to the raising of breadstuffs 
and other food products.’’ ‘‘ For myself,’’ says Dr. Brunck, 
‘I do not assume to be an impartial adviser in this matter, 
but, nevertheless, I venture to express my conviction that 
the Government of India will be rendering a very great 
service if it should support and aid the progress, which will 
in any case be irresistible, of this impending change in the 
cultivation of that country, and would support and direct 
its methodical and rational execution.”’ 
The connection between scientific investigation and health 
is so frequently the subject of discussion that I need not 
dwell upon it here. The discovery that many diseases are 
due primarily to the action of microscopic organisms that 
find their way into the body and produce the changes that 
reveal themselves in definite symptoms is a direct conse- 
quence of the study of the phenomenon of alcoholic ferment- 
ation by Pasteur. Everything that throws light upon the 
nature of the action of these microscopic organisms is of 
value in dealing with the great problem of combating dis- 
ease. It has been established in a number of cases that 
they cause the formation of products that act as poisons, 
and that the diseases are due to the action of these poisons. 
So also, as is well known, investigation has shown that 
antidotes to some of these poisons can be produced, and 
that by means of these antidotes the diseases can be con- 
trolled. But more important than this is the discovery of 
the way in which diseases are transmitted. With this 
knowledge it is possible to prevent the diseases. The great 
fact that the death rate is decreasing stands out prominently 
and proclaims to humanity the importance of scientific in- 
vestigation. It is, however, to be noted in this connection 
that the decrease in the death rate compensates to some 
extent for the decrease in the birth rate, and that, if an 
increase in population is a thing to be desired, the investi- 
gations in the field of sanitary science are contributing to 
this result. 
The development of the human race is dependent not 
alone upon a supply of food, but upon a supply of energy 
in available forms. Heat and mechanical energy are 
absolutely essential to man. The chief source of the energy 
that comes into play is fuel. We are primarily dependent 
upon the coal supply for the continuation of the activities 
of man. Without this, unless something is to take its 
place, man is doomed. Statistics in regard to the coal 
supply and the rate at which it is being used up have so 
frequently been presented by those who have special know- 
ledge of this subject that I need not trouble you with them 
now. The only object in referring to it is to show that, 
unless by means of scientific investigation man is taught 
new methods of rendering the world’s store of energy avail- 
able for the production of heat and of motion, the age of 
the human race is measured by the extent of the supply of 
coal and other forms of fuel. By other forms of fuel I 
mean, of course, wood and oil. Plainly, as the demand for 
land for the production of foodstuffs increases, the amount 
available for the production of wood must decrease, so that 
wood need not be taken into account for the future. In 
regard to oil, our knowledge is not sufficient to enable us 
to make predictions of any value. If one of the theories 
now held in regard to the source of petroleum should prove 
to be correct, the world would find much consolation in it. 
According to this theory petroleum is not likely to be ex- 
hausted, for it is constantly being formed by the action of 
water upon carbides that in all probability exist in practically 
unlimited quantity in the interior of the earth. If this be 
true, then the problem of supplying energy may be reduced 
to one of transportation of oil. But given a supply of oil 
and, of course, the problem of transportation is solved. 
What are the other practical sources of energy? The 
most important is the fall of water. This is being utilised 
more and more year by year since the methods of producing 
electric currents by means of the dynamo have been worked 
out. There is plainly much to be learned before the energy 
made available in the immediate neighbourhood of the 
waterfall can be transported long distances economically, 
but advances are being made in this line, and already 
factories that have hitherto been dependent upon coal are 
making use of the energy derived from waterfalls. The 
more rapidly these advances take place the less will be the 
NO. 1787, VOL. 69] 
demand for coai, and if there were only enough waterfalls 
conveniently situated, there would be no difficulty in furnish- 
ing all the energy needed by man for heat or for motion. 
It is a fortunate thing that, as the population of the 
earth increases, man’s tastes become more complex. If 
only the simplest tastes prevailed, only the simplest occupa- 
tions would be called for. But let us not lose time in idle 
speculations as to the way this primitive condition of things. 
would affect man’s progress. As a matter of fact, his tastes 
are becoming more complex. Things that are not dreamed 
of in one generation become the necessities of the next 
generation. Many of these things are the direct results of 
scientific investigation. No end of examples will suggest 
themselves. Let me content myself by reference to one that 
has of late been the subject of much discussion. The de- 
velopment of the artificial dye-stuff industries is extremely 
instructive i1 many ways. The development has been the 
direct result of the scientific investigation of things that 
seemed to have little, if anything, to do with this world- 
Many thousands of workmen are now employed, and many 
millions of dollars are invested, in the manufacture of dye- 
stuffs that were unknown a few years ago. Here plainly 
the fundamental fact is the zsthetic desire of man for 
colours. A colourless world would be unbearable to him- 
Nature accustoms him to colour in a great variety of com- 
binations, and it becomes a necessity to him. And his 
desires increase as they are gratified. There seems to be no 
end to development in this line. At all events, the data at 
our disposal justify the conclusion that there will be « 
demand for every dye that combines the qualities of beauty 
and durability. Thousands of scientifically trained men are 
engaged in work in the effort to discover new dyes to meet 
the increasing demands. New industries are springing up 
and many find employment in them. As a rule the increased 
demand for labour caused by the establishment of these 
industries is not offset by the closing up of other industries- 
Certainly it is true that scientific investigation has created 
large demands for labour that could hardly find employ- 
ment without these demands. 
The welfare of a nation depends to a large extent upon 
the success of its industries. In his address as president of 
the British Association for the Advancement of Science 
given last summer, Sir Norman Lockyer quotes Mr. 
Chamberlain thus :—‘‘ I do not think it is necessary for me 
to say anything as to the urgency and necessity of scientific 
training. . . . It is not too much to say that the existence 
of this country, as the great commercial nation, depends 
upon it. . . . It depends very much upon what we are doing 
now, at the beginning of the twentieth century, whether at 
its end we shall continue to maintain our supremacy or 
even equality with our great commercial and manufacturing 
rivals.’’ In another part of his address Sir Norman Lockyer 
says :—‘‘ Further, I am told that the sum of 24,000,000l. 
is less than half the amount by which Germany is yearly 
enriched by having improved upon our chemical industries, 
owing to our lack of scientific training. Many other 
industries have been attacked in the same way since, but 
taking this one instance alone, if we had spent this money 
fifty years ago, when the Prince Consort first called atten- 
tion to our backwardness, the nation would now be much 
richer than it is, and would have much less to fear from 
competition.” 
But enough on the purely material side. Let us turn 
to the intellectual results of scientific investigation. This 
part of our subject might be summed up in a few words. 
It is so obvious that the intellectual condition of mankind 
is a direct result of scientific investigation that one hesitates 
to make the statement. The mind of man cannot carry 
him much in advance of his knowledge of the facts. 
Intellectual gains can be made only by discoveries, and dis- 
coveries can be made only by investigation. One gener- 
ation differs from another in the way it looks at the world. 
A generation that thinks the earth is the centre of the 
universe differs intellectually from one that has learned 
the true position of the earth in the solar system, and the 
general relations of the solar system to other similar systems 
that make up the universe. A generation that sees in every 
species of animal and plant evidence of a special creative 
act differs from one that has recognised the general truth 
