Abstract
THE biographer of a Scottish Professor says (we fear boastfully) that his friend had lectured on anatomy, chemistry, physiology, pathology, medical jurisprudence, and medicine, and that he was well qualified also to lecture on botany, mineralogy, and geology. There were giants then surely, but their day is past; for the Professor of Natural History in Glasgow University is just now trying to procure the erection of a new Chair, on the ground that geology or comparative anatomy is, either of them, as much as he can effectively teach. Perhaps no better indication of the enormous progress of Science during the last half century could be found than the facts we have mentioned. The earlier professor found his multifarious duties possible because the subjects were very limited, and, in physiology, chemistry, mineralogy, and geology, the means of investigation were few. Now geology has outgrown the dimensions of anatomy, as a teaching subject. The Chairs of Natural History in Scotland, now only two in number, those in Glasgow and Aberdeen (for Science is only provided for temporarily in St. Andrews at present at the cost of Civil History), are remarkable foundations. There is no clear notion what the Professors may not teach. Custom has settled that geology and zoology shall be expected of them, and the Ordinances of the University Commissioners act upon this tradition. But it is doubtful if successful restraint could be put upon an eccentric Professor who selected ethnology and meteorology as his topics. He would lose class fees; but as he holds from the Crown, and the Crown has not defined his duties, he would be legally safe. Fortunately there has been no attempt hitherto to act independently of University needs; on the contrary, there have been from time to time voluntary modifications of the class work, both as regards the length of the courses and the subjects, so as to meet the needs of students. But this very complaisance has been injurious; for, to take the case of Glasgow, the Universities (Scotland) Act made zoology a compulsory subject for medical students, and the Court and Senate at a later date resolved to grant a degree in Engineering Science (modestly calling it a certificate), requiring geology as one of the subjects of examination. Complete systematic courses were therefore indispensable, and the attempt to provide these has demonstrated their impossibility; hence the present attempt to procure a change.
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The Chairs of Science in the Scottish Universities . Nature 5, 97–98 (1871). https://doi.org/10.1038/005097a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/005097a0