xvi 



to whom ought to be delegated the power of carrying out the principles 

 of education to be laid down by the Government. He had evidently 

 formed an idea of a General Medical Council, which may yet some day be 

 turned to account. 



He did not, however, restrict his labours to medical education. He 

 took a deep interest in the improvement of the Universities generally, and 

 assisted Prince Albert in the projects which eventually ended in the altera- 

 tions in the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. At a later date he 

 was very active in aiding the reconstruction of the University of Aberdeen. 



His greatest attempt to improve purely scientific education was made 

 in connexion with the College of Chemistry. He was deeply impressed 

 with the defective opportunities of studying practical chemistry in this 

 country as compared with Germany, and with the unfavourable influence 

 that deficiency would have, not only on our scientific standing, but on our 

 powers as a manufacturing nation. The influence of Liebig's doctrines 

 on agricultural chemistry and on the improvement of the productive 

 powers of soil were also at that time attracting great attention in England, 

 and impressed him greatly with the importance of cultivating this subject. 

 Whether the State should or should not more or less assist the teaching of 

 pure science, or should leave this to the independent exertion of institutions 

 or private individuals, is a matter which need not be here discussed. Sir 

 James Clark's opinion appears to have been that the Continental system 

 of State aid had the effect of overweighting England in the race, and that 

 if we wished to maintain our equality in science, we had no option but to 

 imitate to a certain extent the Continental plan. The College of Chemistry, 

 however, in the first instance, was intended to be self-supporting. It was 

 commenced in 1845 by Dr. Gardner ; and Sir James Clark soon became 

 one of its most active supporters, and through his influence Prince Albert 

 interested himself greatly in it. 



In the summer of that year, when the Queen and Prince were in Ger- 

 many, Professor von Liebig was requested by Sir James to name some 

 chemist who could carry on in England the same kind of practical instruc- 

 tion which had made Giessen so famous. Liebig mentioned three names, 

 and fortunately circumstances led to the selection of Dr.Hofmann. Through 

 the influence of Prince Albert, Dr. Hofmann obtained leave from the Uni- 

 versity of Bonn for two years, and soon afterwards the College of Chemistry 

 was opened. 



How successful it was in a scientific point of view, even from the first, 

 needs no record ; but its expenses w r ere heavy, and perhaps the College 

 might even have been closed from pecuniary failure about the year 1852 

 had not the Prince Consort, urged on by Sir James, so exerted his influ- 

 ence that the Government consented to give a small assistance, and at 

 length the College of Chemistry eventually became incorporated with the 

 Royal School of Mines. Since that time the College (which is partly self- 

 supporting) has done much to diffuse among our manufacturing and agri- 



