HOW TO PROMOTE SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY 411 



which is accepted with simple faith by the benevolent 

 donor. 



Scientific research is a delicate plant, and the secret 

 of the way in which it may be nurtured has not been 

 revealed to dignitaries and officials. It is interesting to 

 note some of the methods which have been tried with 

 the object of nurturing scientific discovery. In every 

 case the donor has chosen or created an electing body 

 or trustees of which I will say more below. He has 

 directed this body to expend his gift with a view to the 

 promotion of scientific discovery in one of the following 

 ways: (i) in awarding prizes for discoveries made; 

 (2) in terminable stipends to junior and senior workers 

 selected by the trustees and called scholars or fellows, 

 the stipends being given on condition of their holders 

 devoting themselves for a few years to the attempt to 

 make discoveries ; (3) in permanent salaries to tried 

 men, who are thus paid as profqssors or directors of 

 laboratories and museums ; (4) in"^ providing specially 

 designed buildings and apparatus for research, but no 

 salaries for the workers ; (5) in providing, on whatever 

 scale the fund given permits, groups consisting of a 

 professor or director, two or more assistants, attendants, 

 building, apparatus, and the annual income necessary for 

 materials of investigation and maintenance of the es- 

 tablishment. As to the trustees, or boards of electors, 

 chosen by the donor, they are often some established 

 scientific society or some university, or the board may 

 be specially appointed by him. The last is the best 

 sort of body, if properly constituted, but not unfrequently 

 the perplexed promoter of scientific discovery finds 

 himself assenting to the constitution of what is called " a 

 representative body " — say, a bishop, a town councillor, 

 a Secretary of State, a judge, and a university professor, 



