The Necessity for the Amateur Spirit in Scientific Work. 77 



number of professional men of science, there is the g-reater 

 necessity for such workers. And under the new conditions their 

 responsibilities are also greater, for it is in their hands not only 

 to advance knowledge by individual effort, but also to guard 

 against the crystallizing out from the body of the community of 

 a special privileged class that might eventually claim to be 

 alone capable of the duty and to be above external criticism. 

 Already one sometimes hears that ominous word, ' layman ' 

 applied in contradistinction to the professional investigator ; 

 and the implication is obvious. 



But since it is above all things essential that by one method 

 or another the splendid work that has been begun shall go 

 forward vigorously, we must see to it that there shall be an 

 ever-widening' intelligent sympathy in our progress, even 

 among those who do not feel called upon to take up an active 

 share in the movement. To arouse this intelligent sympathy, 

 as well as to furnish the friendly appreciation which helps to 

 maintain the zest of the serious worker, is pre-eminently the 

 function of such a body as this Union of ours — a function that 

 it has fulfilled in the past and may be expected to fulfil with 

 increasing sense of responsibility in the future. With the 

 spread of this sympathy there will assuredly follow an increase 

 in the number of those who find delight in the pursuit of 

 scientific investigation for its own sake, and are best qualified 

 to criticize and check any undue presumption that may arise 

 from the growth of professional interests. It will also rest 

 with them to maintain unimpaired the spirit of high ideals in 

 the effort toward further advance. 



In respect to the actual work of investigation, I know from 

 personal experience that the amateur is apt to overestimate his 

 disabilities. It is true that the time he can devote to his chosen 

 subject is usually very limited — though, after all, these limits 

 are more narrowly determined by the measure of his enthusiasm 

 and energy than by any other factor. Yet his control over 

 such time as he can give is unrestricted. Therefore he can 

 freely select the line of research most to his liking, and can 

 concentrate upon it with unblunted faculties, finding positive 

 recreation in what might prove a wearisome task if done of 

 necessity and not from choice. Moreover, in doing this, he can 

 afford to neglect all considerations that do not bear directly 

 upon his self-appointed objective, in a manner that is not often 

 possible to the professional worker. 



To take a concrete example, let us compare the methods of 



1906 March i. 



