Tlie Presidents' Addresses. 33 



too little to the studies that are vital to the present age. 

 " Generally, throughout the country, teaching in science is a 

 name rather than a reality." In only three schools in Great 

 Britain, according to the testimony of Playfair, is science 

 adequately taught. 



Turning to the Universities, Sir Lyon Playfair complains 

 that with the wealthy exceptions of Oxford and Cambridge 

 these are starved by the State. "The universities and col- 

 leges of Ireland have received about £30,000 annually, and 

 the same sum has been granted to the four universities of 

 Scotland. Compared with imperial aid to foreign universi- 

 ties such sums are small. A single German university like 

 Strasburg or Leipsic receives above £40,000 annually, or 

 £10,000 more than the whole colleges of Ireland or of Scot- 

 land. Strasburg, for instance, has had her university and 

 library rebuilt at a cost of £711,000, and receives an 

 annual subscription of £43,000. In rebuilding the Univer- 

 sity of Strasburg, eight laboratories have been provided, so 

 as to equip it fully with the modern requirements for teach- 

 ing and research. 1 Prussia, the most economical nation 

 in the world, spends £391,000 yearly out of taxation on 

 her universities. The recent action of France is still more 

 remarkable. After the Franco-German war the Insti- 

 tute of France discussed the important question : — ' Pour- 

 quoi la France n'a pas trouve" d'hommes superieurs au 

 moment du peril?' The general answer was because 

 France had allowed university education to sink to a low 

 ebb." 



Startled by the intellectual sterility demonstrated by the 

 war, " France has made gigantic efforts to retrieve her 

 position, and has rebuilt the provincial colleges at a cost of 

 £3,280,000, while her annual budget for their support now 

 reaches half a million of pounds. In order to open these 

 provincial colleges to the best talent of France, more than 



1 The cost of these laboratories has been as follows : — Chemical 

 Institute, £35,000 ; Physical Institute, £28,000 ; Botanical Institute, 

 £26,000 ; Observatory, £25,000 ; Anatomy, £42,000 : Clinical Sur- 

 gery, £26,000 ; Physiological Chemistry, £16,000 ; Physiological 

 Institute, £13,900. 



3 



