October 29, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



601 



time to that work. As a rule, the head 

 professors in the larger universities are not 

 giving more than one to five hours of lec- 

 tures during the week, the rest of their time 

 being devoted to research, while a large 

 number of them have one or two private 

 research assistants besides the candidates 

 for degrees doing research work. The same 

 is true in the European universities. 



There are many other activities besides 

 teaching that may seriously interfere with 

 a man's productive capacity in research. 

 The public demand for something spectac- 

 ular that may be flaunted in the daily press 

 sometimes prevails upon the scientist to 

 forsake modest but meritorious investiga- 

 tion. The bid for popularity may even 

 carry a man so far away from his depart- 

 ment that no time at all remains for re- 

 search. Furthermore, numerous cases are 

 on record where good research men have 

 been spoiled by promotions to official posi- 

 tions, so that their energies become dissi- 

 pated in a mass of official detail instead of 

 concentrated upon some one problem for 

 solution. 



Professor W. E. Castle in speaking of re- 

 search establishments and the universities 

 says: 



The attempt to combine teaching with research 

 has another indirect but evil consequence. The 

 periods which the professor can himself devote to 

 research are intermittent and fragmentary. This 

 affects disadvantageously the topics selected for in- 

 vestigation. They too must be minor and fragmen- 

 tary. Great fundamental questions requiring long 

 continued and uninterrupted investigation can not 

 be attacked with any hope of success by one who 

 has only an occasional day or a summer vacation 

 to devote to research. 



Also quoting a paragraph from Professor 

 "Woodward's report of the Carnegie Insti- 

 tution at "Washington for last year. As re- 

 gards the conditions favorable to research 

 he says 

 that fruitful research entails, in general, prolonged 



and arduous, if not exhaustive labor for which all 

 of the investigator 's time is none too much. Little 

 productive work in this line may be expected 

 from those who are absorbingly preoccupied with 

 other affairs. Herein, as well as in other voca- 

 tions, it is difficult to serve two or more exacting 

 masters. 



Another serious impediment to scientific 

 research may be found in a too perfect 

 organization for the handling of routine 

 affairs connected with such work. In com- 

 mon parlance this perfect organization has 

 been nicknamed ' ' red tape. ' ' Now it some- 

 times happens that the red tape reels off 

 smoothly and rapidly, but dare I say that 

 more often it is thrown into kinks and 

 snarls when the reeling stops. The phe- 

 nomenon has doubtless been experienced to 

 a greater or less degree by every one, but to 

 conjure up pleasant memories, let me hy- 

 pothesize as follows : A is a research chem- 

 ist. He has discovered a new chemical 

 compound which is rather unstable. He 

 requires a certain chemical that will com- 

 bine with the new compound and render it 

 stable so that it can be investigated further. 

 The requisition for the purchase of the 

 chemical goes to B-check, then to C-check, 

 then to D-eheck and finally to E-oheak, 

 whereupon the chemical is ordered and 

 within a short time delivered to A, greatly 

 to his delight. 



Next let us suppose that A is a, research 

 biologist who has just discovered a new 

 form of marine life. He makes out a requi- 

 sition for the purchase of a suitable stain 

 or preservative and sends it to B. He 

 learns, however, that B has gone fishing and 

 the requisition rests. B returns in the 

 course of time, checks the document and 

 sends it to C. G has been unavoidably 

 called away by the death of a close relative 

 and the requisition is deposited to bide its 

 time. Once released and checked by C, it 

 is also cheeked at D, but for a good and 

 valid reason is pigeon-holed at E for a few 



