Nov. 27, 1884] 



NA TURE 



79 



cumstances which give rise to unfavourable comparisons between 

 scientific work in Great Britain and on the Continent. 



Bui lei as deal with the decline in the number of contributions 

 to the Chemical Society. In 18S0-81 there were 1 13 communica- 

 tions ; in 1881-82, S7; in 1SS2-S3, 70; and in 1S83-84, 67. 

 To what may this decline be assignable? In the first place the 

 Chemical Society is not the only body in the United Kingdom 

 » hich publishes papers on chemistry ; there are the Royal Society 

 of London, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and five others, 

 including ihe important Society of Chemical Industry. There 

 are two societies in Dublin, but in this discussion Ireland will be 

 left entirely out of the question. Causes not easily definable 

 may lead to the transfer of authors' works to' one or othfr of 

 these bodies instead of to the Chemical Society, In fact these 

 figures inform us that as the Society of Chemical Industry 

 -prang into being and increased in importance so did the number 

 of contributions to the Chemical Society diminish, and those to 

 the younger body increase. We find that in 1SS3-S4, the second 

 year of its existence, there were sixty-eight papers read at the 

 meetings of the Society of Chemical Industry, and the President 

 will probably have to congratulate the members upon a still 

 further increase at the next anniversary meeting. This is not 

 all ; the number of papers is no criterion of the excellence of the 

 work done, and it may be maintained that the importance of the 

 published communications has very distinctly increased, and if 

 this he admitted it is self evident that with increased elaboration, 

 provided the same amount of work be expended, numerical 

 decline must follow. In comparing the number of papers pub- 

 lished in the Transactions of the Chemical Society with those in 

 the Berlin Berichie, there is also an element of unjust reckoning, 

 inasmuch as the latter volume includes the work of chemists not 

 only distributed throughout the whole German Empire, but of 

 many natives of eight other countries of Europe, occasionally a 

 contingent from America, and even one or two from England. 

 A strict examination will show that our shortcomings are 

 scarcely so considerable as they appear from the President's 

 representation. 



I. el u- now consider what influence on original work may be 

 expected fiom an increased number of laboratories and colleges. 

 It is made to appear as if the fault which renders c nv at 

 unfavourable to us lies entirely with the teachers. This is un- 

 warrantable because, for the amount of instruction given, the 

 proportion of professors and lecturers in Great Britain is much 

 smaller than in Germany. Courses of lectures on theoretical 

 chemistry— inorganic and organic — metallurgy, and applied 

 chemistry, are not unusually required from one professor, who 

 imes in addition is expected to lecture at night to artisans. 

 In one or two cases he has to treat of physic-, and i- styled the 

 Professor of Chemistry and Physics. Such labour would never 

 fall to the lot of any German professor. For the sake of 

 brevity all reference to the paucity and insuffii iency of the 

 endowment of the chairs may be omitted, a- likewise the 

 tudy which influence the attendance in the new 



1 oil, : ,-,. 



It may well lie doubted whether the President of the Chemical 

 Society had earnestly sought to make himself acquainted with 

 arse of instruction pursued in most English laboratories, 

 and realised the difficulties in the prosecuti n of research by 

 students which are known only to teachers. Medical students, 

 c nr instance, pay their fees for a certain well-defin com >e 

 instruction, ami always see that they get it. The lecturers and 

 iors in other colleges, such as those recently established, 

 would neglect their duty if they did not follow out the programme 

 of studies drawn up by the respective Board- and Councils. 

 The town councils, associations of manufacturers, and public- 

 spirited gentlemen who establish the new colleges have 

 taught to believe that our manufactures and scientific indu 

 are languishing for want of technical education, which must be 

 supplied superintendents, firemen, and workmen. 



'I heir 1 ication are based on the requirements of 



such a class of student", and they are bound to comply with the 

 demands made upon them. Hence it arises that a three years' 

 to mathematics, mechanics, drawing, 

 mistry, and engineering. Chemistry in Engla 



neral education, a prof, ional, 1 1 a techni 



cal study, bul >eld is il pursued for its own sake. From 



Is of 1 00 "■ li I aught in the laboratories of a single 

 college during a pci , an be 



counted who prosecuted their studies with any idea of making 

 themselves chemists, and of these, five were the autln 



researches pursued during their college career, which were pub- 

 lished in the Chemical Society's Jotirn, 7/. 



In the German Empire there are twenty-two Universities, all 

 departments of the State, with professors, lecturers, demon- 

 strators, assistants, buildings, and laboratory equipments pro- 

 vided and maintained by funds from the respective Govern- 

 ments. There are about two thousand teachers and twenty- 

 five thousand students annually pursuing all branches of learning. 

 Science, and experimental science esi ceially, is valued to the 

 same extent as classical and mathematical training in England ; 

 chemistry especially receives great attention, as is shown by the 

 fact that the above figures include one hundred and twenty pro- 

 fessors of chemistry, sixtyof whom are "ordentliche Professoren." 

 The cause of this has been attributed by some to the teachings 

 of Liebig and those of his school. The result is that a student 

 occupies himself with the most recondite branches of chemistry, 

 physics, and cognate subjects, without having in view any im- 

 mediate application of his know ledge or research either to the 

 requirements of a professional career or those of a scientific 

 industry. This is shown by the period spent at the University 

 being longer than is necessary for such a purpose. Tradition 

 has placed the learning of the schools of Oxford and Cambridge 

 on a higher platform than that of science, and we cannot alter 

 in thirty years that which has existed in men's minds for more 

 than three centuries, 1 unles- indeed we can call to our aid an 

 intellect like that of Liebig placed in a position of great influ- 

 ence. It would, however, lie a national misfortune if other 

 branches of learning were to suffer for the benefit of science. 



The recently-established colleges in the manufacturing dis- 

 tricts differ from the Universities, and are more nearly allied 

 to the special schools or Polytechnics of the Continent ; but, 

 in addition to providing the education of such establishments, 

 they have to perform the functions of University colleges, of 

 medical schools, and frequently also of superior mechanic-' 

 institutes, generally with a staff inadequate for the purpose. 

 For the most part knowledge is acquired in such institutions 

 only to serve as an aid to improving manufactures. There 

 are on the Continent, not counting France, eleven Polytechnics, 

 or high schools, built at a cost of not less than three millions 

 sterling, and niain'ained by an annual expenditure of 200,000/. 

 In " Les Allemands, " by Le Pere Didon, it is remarked that 

 the prosperity of highly-cultivated nations depends upon the 

 prosperity of the special schools and the Universities together, 

 but there is a danger when the prosperity c f the former leads to 

 n decline in the popularity of the latter. In the work quoted, 

 England is cited as an example of the inconveniences that arise 

 from a want of equilibrium between professional education and 

 the more theoretical and speculative teaching of the Universities. 

 The d< initiating studies of classical literature, pure mathematics, 

 philosophy, history, and theology rf Oxford and Cambridge 

 cause students of the middle class loo frequently to pass at once 

 to the professional colleges of medicine, engineering, &c, instead 

 of educating professional men up to that level of general know- 

 ledge without which the most able specialist is wanting in a 

 great essential to success in life. 



That originality of thought is fostered and cultivated at the 

 German Universities is an undoubted fact, but the requirements 

 of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy cannot be entirely credited 

 with this ; it is rather that which is not required which is so 

 advantageous to students. It is the Lilac unit lern Frciheit 

 which professors and pupils both enjoy; the professor has 

 time Tor thought, and is not hampered by having to coi 



:■ that which he teaches must be a suitable preparation 

 for the pupils' various examinations, while the student, on the 

 other hand, is n_.t harassed by having lo devote time and 

 attention to uncongenial studies. 



( hi the Continent the motiv fi r ;i 1 ntih education is mental 

 culture, while in Britain it is utilitarianism; while the fcrmer 

 tends : 1 ; >.t of learning, the fitter involves nothing 



further than the diffusion of knowl dge. Hence the utilitarian 

 principle neutralises in a great measure the advantages of an 

 nber of colleges, improved laboratories, an I 

 ; , tbly of money-grants in id of research. 



The debased utilitarian view of the advantages of studying 

 science is spread throughout the whole of this address, and ii 

 would be deplorable if all the presidents of the learned societies 



■ n -ays ("Aphorisms." Book I. v 1 \ 1 the habits and 



ns of schools, universit'.es, and the 11 1 fir the 



abode oflearned men and the improvement of learn is found 



to be opposed to the progress of the s 



