TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION B. 



)93 



I have called your attention to the evidence of activity in the British chemical 

 World vcbich is furnished by the number of original investigations communicated 

 to the Chemical Society of London. Let me now ask you to turn to the corre- 

 sponding picture, which is furnished by the statistics of the much younger 

 Chemical Society of Berlin. 



Original Communications to the Chemical Society of Berlin. 



A comparison between these figures and those of the London Chemical Society 

 is best effected by means of the diagram, wliich speaks for itself, and shows that 

 chemical science occupies an entirely ditierent place in Germany from that which 

 it even now does in this country. The curves in the diagram bear, indeed, some- 

 what the same relationship to each other as do the homely elevations of the 

 Grampians to the snow-clad peaks of the Andes. 



Is this state of affairs to continue throughout the twentieth century ? Are 

 intellectual ambitions to be for ever subordinated to the extension of territory, to 

 the acquisition of that metal which has had its atomic weight so accurately 

 determined by Thorpe and Laurie, and to those other problems which fill the 

 political horizon ? Even the most recent awakening of interest in higher scientific 

 education is not altogether of the breed to satisfy us as men of science ; for the 

 interest is assuredly not in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, but is 

 aroused by the desire to secure tliose material advantages which it Is beginning 

 to be realised must inevitably result from the steadfast prosecution of scientific 

 research. This is indeed a very different spirit from that which has led to the 

 proud position occupied by science and learning of all kinds in Germany. 



Schiller has truly said — 



' Knowledge is to one a goddess, to another only an excellent cow.' 



I fear there can be no doubt that here it is the cow, and not the goddess, that is in 

 request. Thus, whilst in Germany the love and reverence for knowledge preceded 

 the esteem of knowledge for the material benefits which it confers, we must hope 

 that in our country the eagerness to secure the material advantages will perhaps 

 lead to a love and reverence for that which confers them, so that in the course of 

 time, perhaps, the useful cow will be allotted a stall on Olympus, or be at least 

 pastured on the grass of I'arnassus. 



From whatever motive, whether utilitarian or otherwise, we wish to see the 

 position of science in this country raised, and the qualitative and quantitative 

 output of scientific work increased, I imagine that the methods to be immediately 

 pursued for attaining this end must be very similar. 



If the higher teaclung of science is to be really encouraged the first necessity 

 is that this higher teaching shall offer a sufiiciently attractive career to the man of 

 ambition as well as to the enthusiast. "VVe all know that the supply of entliusiasts 

 of intellectual power combined with capacity to perform is extremely limited and 

 wholly inadequate for carrying out the important work of the world, and that the 

 greater part of such work is actually done by men of ambition. 



In order that the academic world may attract the ablest men of ambition as 

 well as that rara avis, the able enthusiast, it is necessary that the highest prizes 

 for academic distinction should carry similar soCial prestige, similar remuneration, 



