572 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVII. No. 432. 



uncertain, if, indeed, there is specific pro- 

 vision for it at all. While research is theo- 

 retically recognized as a proper function 

 and is perhaps cordially appreciated by the 

 authorities of the institution, there is in 

 actual practice a constant struggle between 

 the demands of instruction and the desire 

 for investigation, in which the preponder- 

 ance of pressure growing out of the rapid 

 growth of most universities too often lies 

 on the instructional side. Relief for re- 

 search is to be found in endowments 

 specifically devoted to the purpose. It 

 is here proposed that the endowment 

 shall be made to the department rather 

 than to a specific chair. The application 

 of the revenue is, in this case, broader and 

 more plastic than in the endowment of a 

 specific chair. The function of research 

 may be distributed among the members of 

 the staff according to their capabilities and 

 tastes, and thus give to them something 

 of the touch and inspiration of creative 

 work, while they may still retain an in- 

 structional function of greater or less de- 

 gree ; or it may be concentrated at one time 

 in a given line by a given member, and at 

 another time in a different line by another 

 member, as conditions may favor. It is 

 not in all cases— perhaps not in most cases 

 —altogether best for the investigator to 

 be relieved entirely from instructional 

 function, since the exposition of his work 

 has its good effect in forcing the organiza- 

 tion of his thought. The critical review 

 of it, as he assumes the obligation of pre- 

 senting it to younger minds, is wholesome, 

 as are also the questions and discussions 

 incidental to such presentation. But the 

 amount of such profitable instructional 

 work has rather severe limitations. 



Endowments for departmental research 

 may wisely range through the permuta- 

 tions of sis figures into those of seven. 



3. Endowments for Special Besearch- 

 comhinations. — The early settlers of the 



broad fields of the interior were ac- 

 customed to leave a wide unbroken 'turn- 

 row' along their line fences, and long after 

 the general settlement of the country, these 

 presented almost the only remaining virgin 

 soil. It has been much so in the pioneer 

 cultivation of the scientific fields. Between 

 the recognized realms of physics, chem- 

 istry, astronomy, biology, geology and 

 other sciences there is a border-ground 

 which has been less cultivated than these 

 recognized fields, and here lie the richest 

 virgin grounds of the scientific domain. 

 Their adequate culture requires the cooper- 

 ation of men trained in the several cognate 

 fields. A combination of men skilled in 

 physics, astronomy and mathematics is es- 

 sential to the highest results in astro- 

 physics. An association of men skilled in 

 chemistry, physics, mathematics and geol- 

 ogy is requisite to the most promising at- 

 tack upon the complicated problems of 

 geophysics, and so of other border-grounds. 

 There is, therefore, an eminent opportu- 

 nity to promote research by endowments 

 which shall provide for the cooperative 

 investigation of two, three or more men 

 whose combined talents and training may 

 fit them to engage jointly in a common 

 inquiry. The endowment here must be 

 large to be effective, but where it can be 

 made adequate, its promise of fruitage is 

 most eminent. 



4. Endowments for Schools or Colleges 

 of Besearch. — This is but a larger phase 

 of endowments for departmental research, 

 but with this difference: in the latter it is 

 presumed that the departmental staffs of 

 universities will continue to be, as at pres- 

 ent organized, primarily for instructional 

 work, while in the proposed endowment of 

 schools or colleges of research it is pre- 

 sumed that research Avill be the dominant 

 feature and instructional work will be 

 incidental. Very great creative results 

 would flow from the judicious establish- 



