318 
strators of course made itself felt at a very early period, 
and though a certain number of such assistants and 
demonstrators have been supplied, yet the need for an 
increase in the number of these subordinate offices has 
already become apparent. It may be mentioned, for 
example, that at neither University is any assistance of 
this kind at present afforded to the Chair of Geology, or 
to that of Botany. 
“A Natural Science Professor should have, in the first 
place, sufficient skilled assistance to relieve him from all 
mere drudgery in the preparation of his lectures. In the 
second place, he should have such further assistance as 
may be necessary to enable him to carry on original 
researches. And, thirdly, although no professor would 
wish to hand over the superintendence of the practical 
teaching in his laboratories entirely to others, he should 
be enabled to discharge this duty of superintendence with- 
out an undue sacrifice of time. The work should be 
done under the professor’s eye, but its details should be 
entrusted to competent demonstrators, appointed by and 
responsible to him. 
“ So far there is a general agreement ; but the question 
whether assistant professors should be appointed at all, 
and if so, how far the dependence of the assistant pro- 
fessor upon the principal professor of the subject should 
be carried, has given rise to some divergence of opinion. 
We have already stated that we regard as indispensable 
the establishment of a certain number of new Chairs, to be 
independent of, and to take equal rank with, the existing 
Chairs. Ifthe Universities are to become great schools 
of Science, it is of the first importance to secure for them 
the permanent services of a very considerable number 
of scientific men of established reputation; and 
we cannot perceive how this object is to be attained 
otherwise than by offering to such men, without any 
reservation whatever, the same academical s¢atws which 
has hitherto been enjoyed by the University Professors. 
We consider, therefore, that in any extension of the 
Professoriate, this is, without doubt, the first point to be 
attended to. But we are also disposed to attach great 
weight to the suggestion that, in addition tothe Professor- 
ships representing the great divisions of Natural Science, 
University Teachers, who might be termed Adjoint Pro- 
fessors or Readers, should be appointed to undertake the 
instruction in special branches. It would be undesirable 
to place an Adjoint Professor in a position of complete 
subordination to the Principal Professor of the subject ; 
and it would probably be very difficult to arrange any 
plan of partial subordination which could work satisfac- 
torily. We are, therefore, of opinion that the Adjoint 
Professors should not be regarded as assistants to the 
Professors, but should be responsible for the due dis- 
charge of the duties assigned to them to a Board or 
Council, appointed by the University, and not to any 
individual Professor. 
“Tt is important that the Universities should be able to 
secure the services of men who have shown their ability 
to promote Science, and to become successful teachers of 
it, by offering them places, such as the Adjoint Professor- 
ships, which would give them an opportunity of distin- 
guishing themselves; and, with this view, it is very 
esirable that as much independence as possible should 
be allowed to the Adjoint Professors, in order to make 
NATURE 
[Aug. 21, 1873 
the appointments attractive to the best men. On the 
other hand, as it is obvious that the perfection of the 
means and system of instruction in the Universities is of 
primary importance, an organisation of, and control over, 
the courses of instruction would be necessary, as other- 
wise there might be an excess of lectures in some sub- 
jects, and a deficiency in others. We are of opinion that 
these difficulties might be overcome, and a sufficient 
amount of liberty combined with systematic organisation, 
if, as we shall presently recommend, a Central Board, or 
Council, should be formed, representing the Scientific 
Faculty, and having definite functions with regard to the 
scientific teaching within the Universities. 
“ We may observe that the financial argument in favour 
of extending the Professoriate (at least in the first in- 
stance) by the institution of offices not intended to take 
equal rank with the existing Chairs, rather than by in- 
creasing the number of the Principal Professorships, will 
probably lose some of its force when a careful estimate is 
made of the difference which the adoption of the one plan 
or the other would make in the charge to be laid upon 
the funds of the Universities. It is quite true that the 
emoluments of an Adjoint Professor need not be so great 
as those of one of the Principal Professors ; and that to 
this extent there would be a saving. But whether an 
additional professor of any subject be termed an Adjoint 
Professor, or whether his Chair be regarded as co-ordi- 
nate with the existing Chairs, the difficulty would always 
remain that if he is to be of any use at all he must be fur- 
nished with the necessary apparatus ; he must havea room 
tolecture in,a room orrooms to workin, andthe classification 
of the students will also probably require additional space. 
Laboratories of chemistry, physics, and physiology have 
been already provided ; it would, therefore, not be neces- 
sary to create a large establishment for any new pro- 
fessor. Butit is certain that the only way in which the 
Universities can increase the usefulness, at the same 
time that they increase the number, of the professors, is 
by being ready to make, from time to time, such moderate © 
additions as may be necessary to the buildings which 
they appropriate to Science.” 
Under the heading “ Duties of Professors,” we have 
the following :— 
“It has been suggested that, in the case of certain pro- 
fessorships at both Universities, the functions of Original 
Research might be separated from direct instruction. To 
a professor the duty of teaching is a matter of daily 
routine; whereas, original research is a duty which 
belongs to no day in particular, and which is, therefore, 
very likely to be neglected in comparison with the other. 
Nevertheless, we cannot see any just and sufficient reason, 
in the case of the professorships, for a total separation of 
the two functions ; and even Sir Benjamin Brodie, who 
has supported the view that some distinction should be 
made between offices appropriated to teaching and those 
appropriated to original research, would not have the 
separation absolute, and would consider it of importance 
that even 4 professor whose chair was founded chiefly 
with the latter view, should be called upon to produce, 
from time to time, in the form of lectures, the results of 
investigations in new departments of Science. Lecturing 
is not the only mode in which scientific instruction may 
be imparted. A professor who should undertake the direc- 
