526 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 118. 



of scientific methods in every direction, 

 but they are satisfied with nothing less than 

 the latest and best results of scientific in- 

 vestigation. 



While this is generally true of the evolu- 

 tion of all states and nations, it is espe- 

 cially characteristic of the progress of our 

 own Eepublic. 



During the existence of the English-speak- 

 ing colonies in what is now known as the 

 United States of America, the independence 

 of the various colonial governments, the 

 slow and uncertain means of communica- 

 tion, and the general lack of wealth through- 

 out the land, not only furnished no stimulus 

 to scientific activity, but presented effectual 

 barriers against all continuous devotion to 

 scientific investigation. Up to the time of 

 the War of the Eevolution the schools and 

 colleges of the colonies would have been 

 held guiltless of wasting any time on the 

 natural sciences. At that time, also, there 

 was no attempt in any of the seats of learn- 

 ing to teach anything but a smattering of 

 mathematics and the physical sciences. 



In 1787 science was not recognized by 

 the individual or by ethical, social, educa- 

 tional or political organizations as a promi- 

 nent factor in intellectual or material prog- 

 ress. In the old and wealthy states of 

 Europe the pursuit of mathematical studies 

 had opened the way for the develepment of 

 the physical sciences ; but on this continent 

 the study of algebra, the basis of mathe- 

 matical analysis, had not acquired a respect- 

 able standing in even the best colleges^ 

 while in most of the edacational institutions 

 of the land the subject was entirely ne- 

 glected, if not unknown. For that reason 

 alone, the physical sciences could have no 

 place or influence in the thoughts of the 

 people who formed our Federal Constitution. 



Without recognition in the organization 

 of the general government, science was left 

 to fight its waj' along its own lines ; strug- 

 gling at first to reach practical results rather 



than fundamental laws ; sometimes failing 

 and often uncertain in its aims, but still 

 untrammeled by the fetters of bureaucratic 

 domination. 



The State, Treasury, War, Postoffice and 

 Law Departments of the general govern- 

 ment were organized in 1789 ; the Navy 

 Department in 1793, the Interior in 1849 

 and the Department of Agriculture in 1889, 

 The real or fancied needs of a government 

 devised to promptly respond to the widely 

 divergent interests and activities of an 

 energetic people soon made it necessary to 

 have under its own control some of the 

 means for producing results by the best 

 known scientific methods. 



In a halting and half-hearted way a 

 number of attempts were made to lay the 

 foundations of scientific attachments to 

 some of the executive departments. These 

 centers of scientific activity were set in 

 motion by widely difierent influences, 

 though all were united apparently in seek- 

 ing immediate and practical accessions to 

 the material welfare of the country. 



When considerable progress had been 

 made in the installation of these new ven- 

 tures it was found that the men of scientific 

 training, the only proper personnel for such 

 work, were not to be found in this country, 

 and the development of the scientific 

 worker, under more or less incompetent 

 direction, was the first obstacle to be over- 

 come. With that remarkable adaptability 

 and energy which has characterized the 

 American mind in its struggle with the 

 forces of nature during the last century, 

 the men for prosecuting the work of these 

 new establishments were found and were 

 mostly trained in this country. 



That the best plans and the most efficient 

 methods were not always adopted was to 

 be expected, but it may be truthfully said 

 that in the short space of fifty years the 

 generosity of our general government so 

 fully met the demands of the people for 



