•June 8,1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
993 
Cjje |Jkruuicnific;tI |o«nral 
-«- 
SATURDAY, JUNE 8 , 1872 . 
Communications for this Journal , and books for review , etc., 
■should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Brem- 
ridge, Secretary , 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street , London , W. Envelopes indorsed “ Bliarm. Journ.” 
SCIENCE IN ENGLAND. 
Of the hundreds of thousands wl}0 overran the 
■downs at Epsom last week, or the millions for whom 
the exciting events of the Derby Day have an all- 
absorbing interest, probably not half-a-dozen were 
•even aware, or would have cared a button if they 
had been told, of the different kind of festival wliich 
was being held in the metropolis on Thursday 
•evening, when the Faraday Lecture was delivered 
in the theatre of the Royal Institution. 
When Faraday died, the Chemical Society insti¬ 
tuted a lecturership to be held during three years by 
some foreign chemist of distinction, under the sole 
condition that he should deliver during his tenure of 
office a discourse upon some branch of chemistry, or 
upon some topic relating to chemistry, to be deter¬ 
mined upon by himself. Three years ago the in¬ 
augural lecture was given by Dumas, and a finer 
piece of eloquence was probably never listened to. 
His speech, however, possessed more of the charac¬ 
ter of a funeral oration, pronounced as it was within 
a comparatively short period of the death of the 
great philosopher. No more appropriate place 
■could have been; selected for its delivery than the 
theatre of the Royal Institution, within the walls of 
wliicli all Faraday’s great discoveries had been 
accomplished. 
On the present occasion Professor Cannizaro, of 
Palermo, was the lecturer, and received the Faraday 
Medal. 
The subject he had selected, “ The Teaching of 
'•Chemistry in the Universities,” was one which, at 
•the present time, possesses considerable interest as 
bearing in an important degree upon the progress of 
Science in Great Britain. 
Dr. Frankland in Ills presidential address to the 
Chemical Societ}^ and in evidence before a Royal 
•Commission, has lately been complaining bitterly of 
the decline of scientific discovery in England. He 
.attributes it in great part to the fact that in the ex¬ 
aminations for degrees in Science in the English 
Universities, candidates are not required to give evi¬ 
dence of having performed original work, or of pos¬ 
sessing special aptitude for tills land of study. In 
making these sweeping statements, however, we 
consider that Dr. Frankland is not doing justice 
to the Universities, and especially the University 
of London, which has been labouring earnestly 
and successfully for years past to elevate the cha¬ 
racter of the science teaching in this country. 
Moreover, it seems to us that he by no means strikes 
at the real root of the evil. It is true that there has 
been for some time past but little activity in the 
prosecution of chemical research, and that the num¬ 
ber of papers published annually by the Chemical 
Society is far from proportionate to the increased 
number of Fellows. But the fault does not lie 
with the younger chemists, who, as a rule, are 
fully occupied with the pressing business of get¬ 
ting a living, and have little or no leisure, how¬ 
ever much their inclination may be, to devote to 
pure, which means unremunerative, science. The 
blame attaches to those men who, occupying high 
positions, with ample means and abundant leisure 
if they choose to make it, yet allow themselves to 
be wholly absorbed by pursuits [for wliich other 
men -would be equally well adapted. They thus 
not only do not themselves contribute to the advance¬ 
ment of science, but set before their juniors the 
baneful example of that “ambition of preferment for 
its gold” by wliich the whole scientific community is 
demoralized. 
We by no means question the right of every one 
to the exercise of his abilities in the manner he 
chooses; but at the same time we hold that this 
right is limited by the obligations attaching to the 
higher offices wliich are attainable bv scientific 
men, and we consider it to be the duty of those 
holding prominent and lucrative positions to sustain 
and justify their pre-eminence as representative 
men by continued research and contribution to the 
advancement of science. 
From another point of Hew, this duty is especially 
incumbent upon all chemists holding the position of 
teachers. In nine cases out of ten, the man who 
does no experimental work does not read. He thus 
kn mvs nothing of the progress of science; and, ex¬ 
hibiting none of that enthusiasm which is above all 
things essential to secure the attention of an 
audience, he is unable to maintain the interest of 
liis pupils in the subject he pretends to teach. On 
the Continent, and particularly in Germany, it is 
otherwise. There the publication of original me¬ 
moirs by a professor is almost a condition of his re¬ 
taining his chair; and certainly a want of activity 
in tliis respect would influence very seriously his 
social position as well as his professional career. 
Faraday, in honour of whose memory the assembly 
of Thursday evening was met together, spent his 
life in searching out the secrets of nature. It was 
enough for him that he possessed necessaries; plea¬ 
sures and luxuries he looked for in his work, and 
who shall say that he did not find them ? 
