NATURE 
81 

THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1871 


SCIENCE LECTURES FOR THE PEOPLE 
T’ is the great weakness of Science in this country that 
its professors are rather a mass of incoherent units 
than an organised body eager to influence others and 
themselves enjoying the privileges of such influence. 
Each one is apt to work too much by himself, and while 
he often exhibits the most rare skill in discovering truth, 
he too frequently leaves to others less able than he the 
task of bringing his labours before the world at large. 
Now, while the man of science complains with much 
justice that his pursuits have not been recognised by the 
tulers of our country, he ought not to forget that it is like- 
wise his duty to help others, in doing which he will help 
himself. Whatever be the faults of our rulers, they are 
eminently sensitive to public opinion ; men of science, 
therefore, have only to prove to the people that they are 
a useful class in order to have their services recognised. 
It is really absurd to suppose that one of the most intelli- 
gent and useful bodies of men in this country could not 
obtain their just demands if they set themselves earnestly 
and unitedly to the task. They have hitherto tried to 
prove to our rulers that the promotion of science will bene- 
fit the country, but have met with only indifferent success ; 
let them supplement their endeavours by convincing our 
rulers that to promote it will be for their own benefit, and 
they are sure to succeed. Success, in fine, will not be at- 
tained by a policy of isolation, but by leavening the whole 
mass of the community with the love of science, and when 
this is done science will rise to its just place in the councils 
of the nation. 
Many of its chiefs have now begun to perceive this, 
and we are glad to record the success of one of the 
best organised attempts that have hitherto been made 
to extend the knowledge and love of science among the 
working classes. The Science Lectures for the People, 
lately delivered in Manchester, have been a very great 
success, whether we regard the numbers who attended 
them, or the standing of the lecturers, many of whom 
came from a considerable distance in order to give their 
information to the people of Manchester. In the cheap 
and simple form in which these lectures are now pub- 
lished they constitute an eminently readable and in- 
structive book, suitable fer all classes. The titles of the 
lectures are as follows: (1) Coral and Coral Reefs, by 
Prof. Huxley; (2 and 3) Spectrum Analysis, by Prof. 
Roscoe and Dr. Huggins ; (4) Coal, by Mr. Dawkins ; 
(5) Charles Dickens, by Prof. Ward; (6) The Natural 
History of Paving Stones, by Prof. Williamson ; 
(7) Temperature and Life of the Deep Sea, by Dr. 
Carpenter ; (8) Formation of Coal Strata, by Mr. Green ; 
(9) The Sun, by Mr. Lockyer. We are much indebted 
to Dr. Roscoe for arranging this admirable series of 
lectures, and also to Mr. T. J. P. Jodrell, who has 
generously defrayed the heavy expenses connected with 
their publication. Surely, too, the men of Manchester 
owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Roscoe and his friends for 
this intellectual feast, the elements of which are at once so 
excellent and so varied. It would be presumptuous in 
any one man to criticise such lectures, but let it be said 
VOL. IV, 

no more that the chiefs of science are either unable or 
unwilling to explain to others the discoveries which they 
themselves have made. They are at last emerging from 
their seclusion, and recognise their functions as teachers 
of truth. ‘A people,” says Dr. Roscoe, ‘whose 
masses are without knowledge and without tastes 
for higher things than the mere struggle for 
existence can come to no good.” These are truth- 
ful and noble words, and point to what ought to be 
the future action of men of science. Their author, 
we learn, is constantly asked about science lectures, and 
he thinks that if there were the means of sending lecturers 
to various localities they might be of the greatest value. 
But to do this a common action is necessary ; for it is 
surely too much to expect that each large town should 
independently obtain such lecturers, and publish such 
a volume as that now under review. Indeed, the 
question is a more important one than at first sight 
appears ; for a national society, formed with the view of 
diffusing scientific information among the populace of 
large towns, would be the beginning of a powerful union 
capable of forcing the claims of science before the Govern- 
ment of the country. Most of the leaders of science are 
disposed to admit that such a union is desirable, but 
many of them object to the formation of a new body. 
For, curiously enough, in matters of administration we 
are all of us evolutionists, and dislike very much the 
appearance of a new organisation that has not been 
developed by insensible degrees from some previous or- 
ganisation of a humble character and living under other 
conditions. 
Now, such a nucleus exists at Manchester ; and as the 
necessity for an extended union of scientific men is 
strongly felt, might it not be desirable to extend the Man- 
chester organisation into one for supplying the scientific 
wants of the whole community ? 
We make this suggestion with the view of eliciting the 
general opinion of the scientific public. This is a transi- 
tional age, and the social elements around us appear to 
be ripe for such a transformation. 


CROOKES’S CHEMICAL ANALYSIS 
Select Methods in Chemical Analysis (Chiefly Inorganic). 
By William Crookes, F.R.S. Illustrated by twenty-two 
woodcuts. Pp. 468. (London: Longmans and Co.) 
THE title of this book fails to convey any adequate 
idea of its true province. It is not a mere text- 
book of quantitative analysis after the manner of Frese- 
nius ; nor is it,as one might be inclined to suppose, a 
collection simply of analytical examples designed to 
illustrate to students the more important determinative 
methods, as in the well-known and deservedly appreciated 
“ Handbuch” of Wohler. It aims rather at being a labo- 
ratory Vade-mecum—a sort of “ Chemists’ Constant Com- 
panion ”—designed alike for the teacher and the taught. 
It presents in a remarkably clear and well-arranged 
manner a number of thoroughly reliable methods of 
analysis—some original, others modifications of older and 
well-known methods—of which the greater portion have 
been rigidly tested by the author in his own laboratory. 
Eyery working chemist must have repeatedly felt the need 
F 
