2 Programme 



question is not always determined by its actual importance and 

 the number of its points of contact with neighbonring fields of 

 research. Thns it may be taken for granted that the Theory of 

 Descent and the Bacillus tuberculosis have everywhere excited a 

 great anionnt of interest and corresponding activity of scientific 

 work, On the other hand the interest taken in the discovery 

 of Visual Purple has been much more limited both as regards 

 the number of individuals who have worked at the subject, 

 and the number of countries in which their investigations have 

 been conducted. The fact that in the first case zoolo<i;ical, in 

 the second pathological and botanical, and in the third physio- 

 logical and ophthalmological points were brought under con- 

 sideration is of scarcely sufficient importance to have so ma- 

 terially influenced the number of those who took an active 

 part in the further course of the controversies. 



But other reasons than this can sometimes be shown for the 

 remarkable fact that, even at the present time, anatomical in- 

 vestigation often pursues an isolated path in diiferent countries. 

 Thus it may happen that a discovery has been made in one 

 country, but has been rejected by an authority on the subject 

 in a second country. The real or imaginary reasons which have 

 induced him to reject the discovery may have been announced 

 either by himself or by one of bis assistants or pupils, and 

 being received without question, or at least without any dis- 

 sentient voice being raised against them, these reasons may have 

 sufficed to bury the discovery for many years so far as the 

 second country is concerned, although in the country of its 

 birth it may have long since obtained general recognition. 



No one will consider that the continuance of tliis state 



