Jtily 30, 1874] 



NATURE 



241 



the chemistry of this globe and of suns infinitely remote 

 to one common basis. So also is isomorphism an essen- 

 tially physical phenomenon and one for the explanation 

 of which we shall doubtless be hereafter indebted to 

 physics. The Newton of chemistry may be looked for in 

 the ranks of physicists. In the meantime let us only 

 hope for " new methods " of research — let investigators 

 seek for some method bearing the same relation to our 

 chemistry that the "pneumatic chemistry" of Priestley 

 did to that of his time. 



ON TESTIMONIALISM 



JUST now, there must be several scientific men asking 

 themselves what can be the conceivable value of 

 testimonials in determining the relative fitness of a number 

 of candidates for any appointment of such importance as 

 a Professorship of a most important branch of natural 

 science in a great seat of learning. 



It is not a point of any great difficulty to determine, to 

 one's mental satisfaction, in what cases testimonials are of 

 value— for they are sometimes most useful — and when they 

 are worthless in comparison to other methods for testing 

 the relative efficiency of different men. 



Testimonials, or an examination, or the two combined, 

 are no doubt necessary, when the post to be competed 

 for is one, the qualities required for which are not capable 

 of being exhibited to an electoral body by the competitors 

 in any other way. For minor appointments, therefore, 

 such as clerkships, smaller educational posts and the like, 

 they are indispensable ; as they arc in cases where the 

 intimacy of the relationship between the holder of the 

 post and those he is placed above is close. But for 

 appointments so honourable and responsible as the Pro- 

 fessorship of Physiology in the University of Edinburgh, 

 or that of Chemistry in the University of Glasgow, we 

 cannot help thinking that testimonials are a farce. Can- 

 didates for such chairs arc not youths ; they must have 

 had the opportunity of maturing their minds by careful 

 training, during which time frequent opportunities must 

 have occurred for them to take up some fresh branch of 

 their subject and work it out independently, with some 

 originality in the methods they employ. Their confidence 

 in their methods and results ought to have been sufficient 

 to make them publish them, and so expose them to the 

 criticism of the scientific public, who do not generally 

 take long to form a fairly correct estimate of the abilities 

 of authors. If all candidates for important posts were 

 compelled to rely for their election on their works alone as 

 testimonials, we are sure that the electors would be less 

 trammelled, and more in a position to make judicious 

 selections. 



By some it may be remarked that what is wanted in the 

 cases above instanced is good teachers, and that if men 

 with original power can be obtained at the same time, so 

 much the better ; this requirement makes the general ability 

 of the professor a secondary consideration in compari- 

 son with his teaching power;-. Wc are of opinion that 

 this is a mistaken view of the subject. Very frequently 

 the most talented followers of scientific inquiry are not 

 such effective lecturers at first sight as their less-gifted 

 colleagues ; still, we never knew a case in which 

 there was not a peculiar charm about the teaching of a 



master-mind that gives an impulse to study on the part 

 of the student, producing in the long run more bene- 

 ficial results than the routine discourses of a mere 

 expositor of other people's work. Another thing is that 

 the connection of great names with a seat of learning in 

 itself gives a stimulus to younger workers, raising suc- 

 cess in mental work to a position which it is not easy 

 for it to attain, on account of the fact that its results 

 have frequently no immediate practical bearing. 



In one at least of the cases we are referring to it is unfor- 

 tunate in some respects that the electors have no special 

 interest in the science they have so great a power indirectly 

 to advance. In consequence of this their knowledge of 

 the respective merits of the candidates must be uncertain, 

 and we do not think that it will be much increased by the 

 showers of testimonials which it is evidently the intention 

 of more than one of the candidates to submit. One candi- 

 date has sent broadcast a lithographed form, sometimes 

 even to men his junior in position and age, courting testi- 

 monials. What possibly can be the value of the pound's 

 weight of paper he will probably thus accumulate ? He 

 ought to remember that no number of shots from a 

 smooth-bore gun will send a ball as far as a single one 

 from an Armstrong, and on that principle reduce the 

 number and endeavour to increase the quality of the tes- 

 timonials he sends in ; by which means he will save the 

 adjectives as well as the temper of his acquaintances. 



Another candidate sends us the printed list of his pub- 

 lished works, and to that we see no particular objection. 

 But appended to each is a selected series of reviews, from 

 which all the unfavourable ones are carefully omitted. It 

 is, no doubt, unpleasant to print adverse criticism, but 

 how can the electors be expected to form a correct esti- 

 mate of the value of the works reviewed, if those in their 

 favour only are introduced .? The reviews, as one-sided, 

 had been much better omitted, or, if printed, had much 

 better have been inserted without selection. It is this 

 extreme mode of action thus adopted which has called 

 our attention to the subject. 



On the whole, we think that the electors for the 

 Scotch Science Chairs have a by no means easy task 

 before them, and we sincerely hope that in their selection 

 they will lay stress on soundness of judgment and scien- 

 tific thought rather than on quires of testimonials wrung 

 out of acquaintances and friends, who would much rather 

 have been otherwise employed than in putting pen to 

 paper for the purpose. 



Moreover, we are of opinion that not only should a 

 man's researches be taken into account in making an 

 appointment to any science chair, but also that no election 

 should be made without taking the opinion of those com- 

 petent to form an estimate of the value of these re- 

 searches. 



THE RAINFALL OF BARBADOS 



Report upon the Rainfall of Barbados, and upon its in- 

 fluence on the Sugar Crops, 1 847-1 871. With two 

 Supplements, 1873-74. By Governor Rawson, C.B. 



T^HIS Report gives the result of observations made 

 -L since 1S47, at a large number of stations well 



distributed over the island. The total area of Barbados 



s 166 square miles ; in 1847, only three stations had 



