1917.] The Fourth Indian Science Congress. cxlix 



usual works laboratory. In every case where the effect of 

 research . work has been very marked, that work has been 

 directed not towards the superficial processes of industry but 

 towards the fundamental and underlying theory of the subject. 

 The function of the third type of laboratory — the true research 

 laboratory — is to formulate this underlying theory. 



This kind of research work involves. Dr. Mees tells us, a 

 laboratory very different from the usual works laboratory, and 

 also investigations of a different type from those employed in a 

 purely industrial laboratory. It means a large, elaborately 

 equipped, and heavily staffed laboratory engaged largely on 

 work which, for many years, will be unremunerative and which, 

 for a considerable time after its foundation, will obtain no 

 results at all which can be applied by the manufacturer. The 

 shortest period in which any considerable results can be ex- 

 pected is five years, while results so considerable as to affect 

 the whole industry cannot be looked for in less than ten years' 



.consecutive work." 



You will observe that even Dr. Mees' highest form of re- 

 search that carried on in the true research laboratory as lie 

 calls it, is to be conducted with a view to remunerative result - 

 although these may be deferred for five or even ten years ! 



I would ask you to contrast this attitude with that indi- 

 cated by Sir Rav Lankester in a lecture delivered at the meet - 

 ing of the British Association in Sheffield Lankester pointed 

 out how different from " the eager practical spirit of the inven- 



tor who gains large pecuniary rewards" was the devoted 



searching spirit of science which heedless of pecuniary reward- 



ever faces nature with a single purpose to ascertain the causes 

 of things." " Invention," he said, " follows the footsteps of 



science at a distance. She is utterly devoid of that thriftless 

 yearning after knowledge, that passionate desire to know the 

 truth, which causes the unceasing advance of her guide and 



benefactress." 



It is probahlv impossible to find a classification of research 

 work devoid of considerable overlapping and in many cases 

 the motives are undoubtedly mixed, but it seems possible to 

 recognize three classes :— that carried on with the single pui 

 pose of ascertaining the truth in regard to the causes of things, 

 that which has for its immediate object a specific utilitarian 

 purpose but still without any expectation whatever of a pecu- 

 niarily remunerative result, and research with the avowed 

 object of making money out of it sooner or later. 



The first and second classes would come under the head ot 

 scientific research in the sense in which the term is used by the 

 Privy Council, while the third class is industrial research; hut 



What I want to emphasize is the fact that the first class alone 



is research in pure science, while the second and third class 

 are both research in applied science, that is science put to 



