Sept. 10, 1885] 
roaring of the forge and ringing of the anvil. But what avails 
the hum of the factory if the product be shoddy, and what the 
roar of the forge and the ring of the anvil if the metal we work 
be base ? 
In conclusion, let us consider fora moment what might be done 
for the risen generation, who are too old to go formally to school, 
and yet not too old to learn. Imtheir education such bodies as 
the British Association might be very helpful. Indeed, in the 
past, the British Association has been very helpful in many ways. 
It can point to an admirable series of reports on the progress of 
science, for which every one who, like myself, has used them, is 
very grateful. It is much to be desired that these reports should 
be continued, and extended to many branches of science which 
they have not yet covered. 
The Association has at present, I believe, a committee of 
inquiry into science-teaching generally. This istypical of a kind 
of activity which the Association might very profitably extend. 
This Association, with its long list of members bristling with the 
names of experts in every science, not drawn from any clique or 
particular centre, but indiscriminately from the whole land, might 
take upon itself to look into the question of scientific text-books 
and treatises. Even if it did not set up a censorship of the 
scientific press, which might be an experiment of doubtful wis- 
dom, although some kind of interference seems really wanted 
now and then, it might set itself to the highly useful work of 
filling the gaps in our scientific literature. There is nothing from 
which the English student suffers so much as the want of good 
scientific manuals. The fact is that the expense of getting up 
such books in this country is so great, and the demand for them, 
thongh steady, yet so limited, that it will not pay publishers to 
issue them, let alone remunerate authors to write them. In my 
student-days the scarcity was even greater than it is now, and 
in fact thenno one could hope to get even a reasonable acquaint- 
ance with the higher branches of exact science unless he had 
some familiarity with French or German at the very least—a 
familiarity which was rare among my fellow-students either in 
England orin Scotland. Might not the British Association now 
and then request some one fitted for the task to write a treatise 
on such and such asubject, and offer him reasonable remuneration 
for the time, labour, and skill required ? 
Another field in which the Association might profitably extend 
its labours appea%s to me to be the furnishing of reports, from time 
to time, on the teaching of science in other countries, and the 
drawing up of programmes of instruction for the guidance of 
schoolmasters and of those who are reading for their own instruc- 
tion. There is no need to impose these programmes on any one. 
I would leave as much freedom to the teacher as I would to the 
private student. The programme drawn up by the Society for 
the Improvement of Geometrical Teaching, for example, has 
been very useful to me as a teacher, although I do not follow it 
or any other system exclusively. The great thing is not to fall 
asleep over any programme or system. For the matter of that, 
Euclid would do very well in the earlier stages of school instruc- 
tion at least, provided he were modernised, and judiciously dis- 
carded at that part of the student’s career where a lighter vehicle 
and more rapid progress becomes necessary. In such programmes 
as I contemplate the bearing of recent discovery on the elements 
of the various sciences could be pointed out, and the general 
public kept in this way from that gross ignorance into which they 
are at present allowed to fall. 
The British Association has of late, I believe, given its atten- 
tion to the encouragement of local scientific activity. There can 
be no doubt that much could be done in this way that is not done 
at present. The concentration of scientific activity in metro- 
politan centres is beginning to have a depressing effect in Great 
Britain. This is seen in the singularly unequal way in which 
Government aid is distributed over the country. Large sums 
are spent—sometimes we outsiders think not to the best purpose 
—through certain channels, simply because these channels happen 
to have a convenient opening in some Government office in 
London, or in some place in that important city which has easy 
access to the ruling powers ; while applications on behalf of other 
objects not less worthy are met with a refusal which is sometimes 
barely courteous. The result is that local effort languishes, and 
men of energy, finding that nothing can be done apart from 
certain centres, naturally gravitate thither, leaving provincial 
desolation to become more desolate. 
I think our great scientific societies—the Royal Societies of 
London and Edinburgh and the Royal Irish Academy—might 
do more than they do at present to prevent this languishing of 
NATURE 
449 
local science, which is so prejudicial to the growth of a scientific 
public. Besides their all-important publishing function, these 
bodies have for a considerable time back been constituted into a 
species of examining and degree-conferring bodies for grown-up 
men, That is to say, their membership has been conferred upon 
a principle of exclusion. Instead of any one being admitted who 
is willing to do his best, by paying his subscription or otherwise, 
to advance science, every one is exc/uded who does not come up 
to the standard of a certain examining body. So far is this 
carried in the case of the Royal Society of London, that there 
is an actual competitive examination, on the result of which a 
certain number of successful candidates are annually chosen. 
Now, against this proceeding by itself I have nothing to say, 
except that it appears to belong to the pupillary age both of men 
and nations. It is not the honouring of the select few that I 
think evil, but the exclusion of the unhonoured many. The 
original intention in founding these societies was to promote the 
advancement of science. How that is done by excluding any 
one, be it the least gifted among us, who is honestly willing to 
contribute his mite towards the great end, fairly passes my 
comprehension. If it is thought necessary, for the proper culti- 
yation of the scientific spirit among us, that the degree- conferring 
function should be continued, let there by all means be an inner 
court of the temple, a place for titular immortals ; but let there 
be also a court of the Gentiles, where those whose fate or whose 
choice it is to serve science unadorned may find a modest recep- 
tion. I believe that the adoption of this suggestion would 
enormously extend the usefulness of our great scientific societies, 
and give to their voice a weight which it never had before. At 
all events, if the trammels of tradition, or some better reason 
with which I am unacquainted, should prevent them from 
broadening their basis in the way I indicate, nothing prevents 
the British Association, with its more liberal constitution, from 
considering what may be done for the scientific plebeian. 
There is one other function of the British Association in 
connection with which I wish to venture another suggestion. 
During the annual meeting, scientific men have an opportunity 
of making each other’s acquaintance. Great men exchange ideas 
with great men ; and, most important of all, young and little 
men have a chance, rarely otherwise afforded, of taking a nearer 
view of the great. What I would suggest for consideration is, 
whether it might not be possible to form an organisation which 
would in a certain sense carry this advantage through the whole 
year. I have already alluded more than once to the difficulties 
that the scientific public—and here I include professional men 
generally, in fact all but the leaders of science—have in keeping 
pace with recent advances. Would it not be possible to have an 
arrangement enabling at least every large centre of the higher 
education to have periodically the benefit of communion with 
and instruction from the high priests of the various branches of 
science? How glad we, the teachers of science in Edinburgh 
for example, would be to have a course of lectures once every 
three or four years from Professors Cayley, Sylvester, Stokes, 
Adams, Lord Rayleigh. In this way effect would be given to 
the principle which cannot be too much insisted upon, that the 
power of the spoken word far exceeds that of the written letter. 
Not only should we learn from the mouths of the prophets them- 
selves the highest truths of science, but the present generation 
would thus come to know face to face, as living men, those whose 
work will be the glory of their time and a light for future ages. 
From the want of a proper circulating medium, the influence of 
great scientific men very often does not develop until they and 
the secrets of their insight have gone from among us. _The 
object of what I propose is to make these men more of a living 
power in their own lifetime. 
SECTION B 
CHEMICAL SCIENCE 
OPENING ADDREsS BY Pror. HENRY E. ARMSTRONG, PH.D., 
F.R.S., Sec. C.S., PRESIDENT OF THE SECTION 
In the Chemical Section of the British Association for the 
Advancement of Science the advancement of chemistry through- 
out the British Empire must be a subject of commanding in- 
terest. Signs of such advancement are not wanting : — the 
rapid establishment of science colleges in one after another of 
our large towns ; the establishment of the Society of Chemical 
Industry, which now, only in the fifth year of its existence, 
