September 23, 1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
251 
to the farmer, the miner and the engineer. It will also 
be readily granted that information about the air we 
breathe, the water we drink, the food we live upon, the 
fuel we bum, and the various common objects we handle, 
must be of service to every man. But we are met by 
the advocates of the old system of education with the 
remark that the value of school-teaching does not de¬ 
pend so much upon the information given as upon the 
mental training. This I admit—though it seems to me 
that if the same training can be secured by two studies, 
the one of which (like the making of Latin verses) gives 
no information at all, while the other (like chemical ana¬ 
lysis) imparts some useful knowledge, we should prefer 
the latter. But I hold that, as a means of educating the 
mental faculties, chemistry, faithfully taught, has in 
many respects the advantage over literary studies. There 
is superabundant scope for the exercise of the memory: 
the powers of observation are developed by it to a won¬ 
derful degree; the reasoning powers may be well dis¬ 
ciplined on the philosophy of chemical change, or the 
application of the laws of Dalton, Mitscherlich, and Avo- 
gadro ; w 7 hile the imagination may be cultivated by the 
attempt to form a conception of the ultimate particles of 
matter, with their affinities and atomicities, as they act 
and react upon one another under the control of the 
physical forces. And I might speak of higher considera¬ 
tions than mere intellectual culture; for surely the works 
of the All wise and Bountiful Creator are a more truthful 
and a purer subject of contemplation for the opening- 
minds of youth, and more in accordance with Christian 
ideas, than are the crude notions of a past stage of 
civilization, and the ignorant and gross fancies of a 
defunct paganism. There is another requirement in 
education—the training of the mind to the discovery 
and recognition of truth. For this purpose, philological 
studies have no fitness; mathematical studies, though 
peculiarly adapted for it, apply only to cases where 
demonstrative proof is possible; but the study of phy¬ 
sical science is remarkably well fitted for teaching 
the proper methods of inquiry, and the strict rela¬ 
tions between theory and fact. Now, the historian, the 
politician, the mental philosopher, the theologician, or 
any one else who desires to influence the thoughts of his 
fellow-men, should be in a position to distinguish be¬ 
tween truth and error in his own department; and his 
mind may be well disciplined for this by a study which 
is less liable to be disturbed by human passions, predi¬ 
lections, or wishes, and where the conclusions are more 
readily brought to the test of observation or experiment. 
Our Government insists on a certain standard of educa¬ 
tion for all who are allowed to teach in our elementary 
schools. In those schools which receive no State aid, it 
is only public opinion which can insist that the teacher 
shall be duly qualified himself. Such bodies as the 
British Association form this public opinion, and will 
deserve well of their country if they demand that these 
masters and mistresses shall know something of the material 
universe in which they move, and be able to impart to 
every child such scientific knowledge as shall afford him 
an interesting subject for thought, give him useful in¬ 
formation, and discipline his mental powers. Among 
the many services rendered by the monthly reports of 
the progress of chemistry which the Chemical Society 
publishes, and the British Association helps to pay for, 
there is one which is rather salutary than pleasant. 
They bring prominently before our notice the fact that 
in the race of original research we are being distanced 
by foreign chemists. I refer not to the quality of our 
work, about which opinions will probably differ, but to 
the quantity, which can be determined by very simple 
arithmetic. This is a matter of no small importance, 
not only for the honour of England, but still more for 
the advancement of science, and the welfare of man. 
From the Physical Chair of this Association last year, a 
note of warning was uttered in the following words, 
after a reference to the sad fate of Newton’s successors 
who allowed mathematical science almost to die out of 
the country:—“ If the successors of Davy and Faraday 
pause to ponder even on their achievements, we shall 
' soon be again in the same state of ignominious infe- 
. riority.” The President of the Chemical Society also, 
in the last Anniversary Address, drew attention to the 
diminished activity of chemical discovery, and to the 
lamentable fewness of original papers communicated. 
He traces this chiefly to the “non-recognition of experi¬ 
mental research by our universities,” and suggests that 
in the granting of science degrees every candidate 
should be required, as in Germany, to prove his ability 
for original investigation. Concurring in this, I would 
remark that other causes have also been assigned, and 
other suggestions have been made. There is the small 
recognition of original research even by our learned 
societies—at least such recognition as will come home to 
the understanding of the general public. It is true the 
Fellowship of the Royal Society is awarded mainly for 
original discoveries, and there are two or three medals 
to be disposed of annually ; but these distinctions fall to 
the lot of the seniors in science, often men who are be¬ 
yond the need of encouragement; and though they 
doubtless are serviceable as incentives, there is many a 
• beginner in the honourable contest of discovery -who is 
too modest even to hope for the blue ribbon of science. 
While the Victoria Cross is awarded to few, every 
soldier who has borne part in a victory expects his clasp; 
and so might every man who has won victory over tho 
secrets of nature fairly look for some public recognition. 
It has been suggested, for instance, that the Royal So¬ 
ciety, in addition to the F.R.S., might institute an asso- 
ciateship, with the letters A.R.S., designed exclusively 
for those younger men who have shown zeal and ability 
in original research, but whose discoveries have not been 
sufficient to entitle them already to the fellowship. It 
is suggested, too, that the Chemical Society might give 
some medal or diploma, or some similar distinction, to 
those who contribute papers of sufficient merit. But 
beyond this is the non-recognition of scientific research 
by society in general. We can scarcely expect the 
average enlightened Englishmen to be anything but 
scared by a graphic formula, or a doubly sesquipedalian 
word containing two or three compound radicals; still he 
need not continue to talk of the four elements, or of acids 
being neutralized by sugar. But, indeed, the so-called 
educated classes in England are not only supremely igno¬ 
rant of science ; they have scarcely yet arrived at the first 
stage of improvement—the knowledge of their own 
ignorance. Then again there is the excessive preference 
of practical inventions over theoretical discoveries—or 
rather, perhaps, the inability to appreciate anything but 
tangible results. Thus, a new aniline compound is nothing 
unless it will dye a pretty colour; if we speak of the 
discovery of a new metal by the spectroscope, people sim¬ 
ply ask, What is it useful for ? and the rigorous deter¬ 
mination of an atomic weight has for them no meaning, 
or interest or beauty. The general appreciation of 
science must be of gradual growth; yet there are wealthy 
men who know its value, and who might well become 
the endowers of research. There are, indeed, at present 
funds available for the purpose—such as the Government 
grant, and the sin-plus funds of this Association ; but tho 
money is given simply to cover actual outlay; and this, 
though very useful, scarcely meets the case of those young 
philosophers who have no balance at their bankers, and yet 
must live. Will not some of these wealthy men endow 
experimental scholarships, or professorships, in connection 
with our colleges, institutions or learned societies ? As 
an instance of the good that may be effected in this way, 
the Fullerian professorships may be cited; and, as a very 
recent example, worthy of all honour, may be mentioned 
' the purpose of Mr. J. B. Lawes, not only to continue 
his elaborate experiments at Rothamsted throughout his 
I lifetime, but to place his laboratory and experimental 
fields in trust, together with £100,000, so that invostiga* 
