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340 NATURE [Aug. 28, 1873 
progress of original research (in England) depends, in the 
first place, upon the want of suitable buildings for con- 
ducting the necessary experiments connected with re- 
search ; secondly upon the want of funds to defray the 
expenses of those inquiries, these expenses being some- 
times very considerable; but, thirdly and chiefly, I 
believe that the cause lies in the entire non-recognition 
of original research by any of our Universities. Even 
the University of London, which has been foremost in 
advancing instruction in experimental Science, gives its 
highest degree in Science without requiring any proof that 
the candidate possesses the faculty of original research, or 
is competent to extend the boundaries of the science in 
which he graduates. I consider that this circumstance is 
the one which chiefly affects the progress of research in 
this country, because if we inquire into the origin of those 
numerous Memoirs upon original investigations that 
come from Germany, we find that a considerable propor- 
tion of them are investigations made by men who are ' 
going in for their Science degrees, and who are compelled, 
in the first instance, to make those investigations, and 
they attain by that means the faculty and liking for 
original research, and frequently follow it out after- 
wards ; so that a considerable proportion of the papers 
themselves are contributed in the first place by those 
men going in for degrees, and a considerable propor- 
tion of the remainder are obtained, I believe, through 
the influence of this previous training in research 
upon the men who have taken the degrees. Further, the 
entire ignoring of research in the giving of degrees in this 
country diverts also, or has a tendency to divert, the at- 
tention of the professors and teachers in this country from 
original research. They have not to take it into their 
consideration in the training of their students ; they have 
not to devise, as is the case in Germany, suitable subjects 
for research to be pursued by their students ; and thus 
their attention is, as it were, taken away entirely from this 
highest field of Science. And, indeed, if they themselves 
devote some of their time to original research, it almost 
appears to them to be a neglect of their class duties- 
because their class duties do not require it. Their stu, 
dents are to be trained for subjects which are foreign to 
original research ; they are to be trained chiefly in sub- 
jects that are to be taught by lectures, and by what I should 
call “descriptive,” as distinguished from “experimental” or 
“practical” teaching ; and, consequently, i think that in 
both ways—both by not bringing students into contact 
with original experimental work, and by diverting the 
attention of the teachers and professors in this country 
from such work, great damage is done to the progress of 
investigation in Great Britain by the attitude of our 
Universities.’ 
“ Sir William Thomson has gone even further, and has 
expressed an opinion that the systems of examination in 
the Universities, as at present arranged, so far from doing 
anything to encourage the spirit of scientific research, 
have an exactly opposite tendency. ‘That, to some de- 
gree, competitive examinations produce an elementary 
smattering of Science I have no doubt whatever, but I 
cannot see that they produce much beneficial influence ; 
and in the higher parts especially, they have, I fear, a very 
fatally injurious tendency in obstructing the progress of 
Science.’ 
“The kind of assistance which we should desire to see 
given in the English Universities to young men who have 
completed their university course, and who propose to 
adopt a scientific career, has been from time to time 
afforded at various institutions in the United Kingdom, 
among which we may particularly mention the Laboratory 
of the University of Glasgow, under the direction of 
Sir W. Thomson. The plan has been adopted in some 
of the German Universities, and even in the great Poly- 
technic Schools of that country. In France it has re- 
cently been organised on a most complete and extensive 
scale. The Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes is a 
Government Institution of which the object is toencourage 
young men todevotethemselves to scientific research, and to 
give them opportunities of learning its methods. The course 
pursued by this institution is to take young men who have 
completed their preliminary scientific studies, and, allow- 
ing them an annual stipend to defray the expenses of 
their maintenance, to place them under the care of com- 
petent professors, who give them assistance and advice in 
their first researches, and to whom they afterwards be- 
come useful. This plan appears to us so excellent in 
itself, and at the same time so academic in its general 
character, that we desire to recommend it for adoption at 
Oxford and Cambridge. To insure due attention to both 
classes of students, it would be proper that the labora- 
tories intended for training in the methods of research 
should be distinct from those in which more elementary 
instruction is given. 
“ We are also of opinion that arrangements should be 
made in some of the public buildings of the Universities, 
for giving opportunities to members of the Universities, 
no longer zz statu pupiliari, of prosecuting researches ; 
although we should regard it of primary importance that 
these arrangements should be such as not to interfere 
with the teaching duties, or with the scientific work, of 
the professors. We agree with Dr. Frankland that one 
‘cause of the slow progress of original research’ in Eng- 
land is ‘ the want of suitable buildings for conducting the 
necessary experiments connected with research ;’ and we 
think that the Universities might, with great propriety, 
supply this want, so far as their own members are con- 
cerned. We also think that collections of apparatus 
should be formed, which would be available for the use of 
such independent workers in Science. There are some 
obvious difficulties involved in this plan, which has been 
strongly recommended by some of our witnesses, but 
which, so far as we are aware, has not been anywhere 
practically tried. We should, however, look with confi- 
dence to such a body as the proposed ‘ University Coun- 
cil of Science’ to frame suitable regulations as to the 
fitness of the persons admitted to the privilege of working — 
in an University laboratory, and as to the securities to be ~ 
taken for proper care in the use of valuable instruments. — 
Weare disposed to think that, under the special circum- 
stances of the Universities, they would do more to pro- 
mote original work by offering facilities of the kind which 
we have described than by making grants of money simi- 
lar to those which are made in aid of special researches 
by the Government Grant Committee of the Royal Society. 
The plan would have the collateral advantage of render~ 
ing residence at the Universities attractive to scientific 
men, 
