Abstract
IN a lecture, “A Century of Progress : Men, Manners, Inventions”, given before the Lancastrian Frank-land Society on January 15, Dr. B. F. Armstrong drew a stimulating comparison between the conditions of Edward Frankland's early years in Lancaster and to-day. Referring to the encouragement which Frankland received from the Johnsons in Lancaster, who sent him to Playfair in 1845, Dr. Armstrong remarked that the energy to get on in spite of the most adverse and discouraging circumstances was characteristic of the 1840's. A deep interest in Nature and in intellectual matters was also widespread in the north of England during the Victorian period and led to the formation of many local societies, ranging from the mutual improvement societies of the chapels to the mechanics institutes and literary and scientific societies of the small towns and the philosophical societies of the large cities. These societies, which besides spreading knowledge gave inspiration to the younger members, persisted until improved communications, a multitude of technical journals and the spread of technical colleges drove most of them out of existence, although even now technical societies with local sections have a most important function.
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SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS SINCE 1840. Nature 151, 257 (1943). https://doi.org/10.1038/151257a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/151257a0