242 



NA TURE 



{Jan. 13, 1 1 



in past times, at all events, the State lias considered it 

 its duty to bring together collections for the benefit of the 

 student, and even for the delight of the eye ot the 

 uninformed. 



These institutions are not merely depositories for loans, 

 in which the State enables its citizens to be benefited 

 provided only that the process costs nothing, or next to 

 nothing ; but fabulous sums have at times been given, 

 and willingly given, by the nation in order that we shall 

 not be behind others in the opportunities afforded of 

 cultivating the arts of peace. 



We now come to the newest developments of human 

 activity. We leave the ground common to us and Greece 

 and Rome, and we approach the modern world, the world 

 which is as it is because physics and mechanics and 

 chemistry have been developed since those earlier days 

 to which we have referred. These developments form 

 the glory of our modern civilisation, and are the pith 

 and marrow of our national life. 



What do we find in our national collections represent- 

 ing these in this our England, where till a few years ago 

 physics, mechanics, and chemistry had been most, and 

 mo5t successfully, applied.' 



Nothing, or practically nothing. The State, which has 

 absorbed greedily some two millions nett in patent fees 

 which have come into its coffers in consequence of 

 these developments, has given nothing, or practic- 

 ally nothing, back. It is true that the generosity of 

 private individuals has enabled the nation to possess and 

 e.\hibit some of the most interesting among the historical 

 apparatus illustrating the applications of those branches 

 of science to which we refer. It is true also that the 

 Science and Art Department has done its best to make 

 bricks without straw, and the state of things is better 

 now than it was ten years ago. We say ten years ago, 

 because it is about that period since the Duke of Devon- 

 shire's Commission pointed out in the clearest and most 

 emphatic way this great and damaging gap in our 

 national resources, and pointed out, too, the various 

 evils which would arise from it. Since that time other 

 Committees have reinforced the Commission's suggestions. 

 Those who know best know how well for the country it 

 would be if the modern developments of knowledge were 

 illustrated as well as the older ones. It is true that after 

 ten years the thing has gone so far that a Treasury Com- 

 mittee has been appointed to consider how such a 

 national collection could be housed. But it is not im- 

 possible that another ten years may elapse before any- 

 thing is done, unless some special and extraneous reason 

 be urged for the doing of it. 



Then why should not the men of science in this year 

 of Jubilee urge upon the Government that it also should 

 not be lacking in commemorating this year? If the 

 citizens of Greater Britain contribute a quarter or 

 half a million in commemorating the year, why should 

 not the Government contribute some 25,000/. (as an 

 instalment of 100,000/., which is all such a Museum need 

 cost) in starting an institution which all students of science 

 or its applications know will be the most important of 

 all in fifty years time, most important, that is, in every- 

 thing that relates to the de\elopment of the resources 

 of Greater Britain .? 



So much then for what the Government might well do 

 in the year of Jubilee. It remains for us to consider what 

 men of science as such can do. We believe that the keynote 

 of what they can best do was struck by Prof Huxley as 

 President of the Royal Society. To this matter we shall 

 probably take another opportunity of referring. 



MARINE ENGINEERING 

 Die Schiffsuiaschine J ihre Construction Wirkungsweise 

 unci Bcdienung. Bearbeitet von Carl Busley. (Kiel : 

 Verlag von Lipsius und Tischer, 1886.) 



npHE concluding volume of this important work on 

 marine engineering equals in merit and style the 

 portion previously published, of which a notice appeared 

 in Nature, vol. xxix. p. 426. It is a most laborious and 

 well-digested compilation of all that is best worth pre- 

 serving in relation to the resistance and propulsion of 

 ships. The author with true German industry has sought 

 far and wide for his materials, drawing from the writings 

 of French, German, Dutch, American, and English 

 authorities. But it may be stated with some satisfaction 

 that the most recent and valuable investigations to which 

 reference is made are those of our own countrymen. The 

 labours of the late Mr. Scott Russell, Prof Rankine, and 

 Mr. W. E. Froude, have given an impulse and direction 

 to the theoretical and experimental investigations of the 

 problems of resistance and propulsion, of which the prac- 

 tical value cannot well be over-estimated. The action of 

 the Admiralty in assisthig the late Mr. Froude, and in 

 now establishing, under the able direction of Mr. R. E. 

 Froude, experimental works on an enlarged and per- 

 manent basis, has yielded substantial advantages to the 

 Royal Navy, and benefited the science and practice of 

 shipbuilding generally. One private firm on the Clyde 

 has, for its own purposes, created a similar experimental 

 establishment ; another was established in Holland by 

 the late Chief Constructor, Dr. Tideman ; France has 

 done something in the same direction ; and Russia and 

 the United States have given attention to the matter. 

 Everywhere it is now recognised that the resistances of 

 full-sized ships may be closely approximated to by means 

 of experiments with models ; and in this manner the 

 problems of ever-increasing difficulty incidental to the 

 attainment of higher and yet higher speeds are being 

 dealt with confidently and successfully. Pure theory 

 cannot master these problems, although it has suggested 

 the best experimental procedure. The older theories of 

 resistance summarised by Mr. Busley have given place to 

 the " stream-line " theory, and upon it has been based 

 the " law of comparison" between ships and models inde- 

 pendently laid down by the great French teacher, M. 

 Reech, and the late Mr. W. Froude. 



Mr. Busley shows full appreciation of the value of these 

 modern experimental methods, while he also describes 

 the more or less " rule-of-thumb " methods which formerly 

 prevailed and have still their uses. It is not possible for 

 most shipbuilders and marine engineers to have model 

 experiments for new ships, and they therefore depend 

 largely upon the analysis of the results of speed trials made 

 with other ships. Carefully conducted trials on what is 



