A Plea for Pure Science(为纯科学呼吁)亨利_奥古斯特_罗兰

harvest i i ~vitherlngfor ~ v a notf water.
debt. of gratitutle nre owe to the great and unselfish
I am rcqnired to addless the so-called physical workers who have giren it to us. And, like the rain
count to you t l ~ eprogress made in this subject by my To a ci~iiizednafion of the present day, the appiicountrymen, and their noble efforts to undcratancl c:ztions of science are a necessity; and our country
the order of the universe. But I go out to gather has hitherto sncceeded in this line, only for the reason
the grain ripe to the Ila~vest,and I find only tares. that there are certain countries ill tlie v;orld where Here and there a. noble head of grain rises ah05 e t l ~ e pnre science has been and is cultivatetl, and where weeds; but so few are they, that I find the majority t,he stndy of nature is considered a rioble pursuit. of m y conntrymeri I ~ I I O Wthem not, but thinlt that IZut such countries are rare, and those who wisll 10
revel in tliis ever-renemwl life of nature. I3ut this sciei~ce. To Il:tve the applications of a science, t l ~ e
cannot al~vayslast. The leaves reach their iiniit; sciel~ceitself iriiist exist. Should rvt? stop its prog-
SCIENCE.
[VOL.II., NO. 29.
PROCEEDISGS OF SECTION B. -PHYSICS.
ADDRESS OF H. A. ROWLAND OF BAL-
TIMORE, MU., VICE-PRESIDENT OF S E C T I O N B , AUG. 15, 1883.
do thi3 in tinte, wc' may discover tlie nor111 which uses, acceptilig it like tile rain of heaven. rvitliout threatens the ripe fruit, or the barren spot where the aslring whenre it came, or cveil aclinowledgii~gthe
they have a wavinq harvest, mhilc it is only one of pursue pure science ill our oTVn country innst be weeds after all. American science is a thing of the prcpared t o face public opinion in a manner ivhicl~
but lea\es and blossoms after all. Rather should we barians. Arid yet o a r own couiitry is in this same
look forward to discover ~vliatn ill be the outcome of state. But re 11aue dolie better; for we have talten all this. anti what the chance of liarvest. For if n e the science of the old worltl, al:d applied it to all orlr
A PLEA FOX PURE SC1E;YCE.I
and some obscure dnierica~iwho steals the ideas of sornc great m i l ~ dof the past, arid e111,iches I~imself
' T r i ~qr~estionis sometimes asked us as to the time of yrar we like the best. T o my niind, tile spring is the lnost deliglltful; for nature tlien recovers from the apathy of winter, and stirs herself to rerlened life. Thd leaves g r o l ~ .and the buds open. with a suggestion of vigor delightful to behold; and me
b y the application of tile salne to domestic uses, is often la~~cieralbove t11e great originator of tlre itlea, who might l i a ~ me orkctl out hundreds of snch applications, had his mind possessecl the necessary element of vizlgarity. I ha\-e often been asked, which mas tlie more important to the world, pnre or applied
section of tliis a~socialion. Pain n ould 1 speali pleas- of heaven, this pure science has fallen npon our
ant nvortls to you on this subject; fain vould I re- country, and rrlatle it great and rich 2nd strong.
s p i i t ~ gof our country. Oiu glance must not be back- and see!iing no farther, they have fallen behinr beautiful l ~ a v e sant1 blossoms are, the progress of the morltl; and we nom regard t11is and howrker ~ ~ ~ a r v e l ltohuesir rapid inciease, they are oldest and most i ~ n m e r o r ~osf n a t i o ~ ~as only bar-
So this magnificent country of oilrs has iivallcd the rigor of spririg in its growth. Forests h a ~ ebeen levelled, aiid cities built, and a large and powerful 11atioi1has been created on tlie face of the earth. TVe ale prond of our ailvancement. We arc prond of such cities as this, founded in a day upon a spot over
ress, arid attentl only to its applications, we sliould soon degenerate into a people like the Chinese, 5vllo have 111adeno progress for gencrations, because tliey have been ~at~isfiewdith tlie applicatiolls of science, anti h a r e never sc)ught for reaso~lsin what they have done. The reasons corl~tit~utpeure science. They h a \ ~ elrnown tlit? application of gunpowder for centui,ies; and yet the reasons for its pecu1i:ir actioll, if sol~glitin the proper manner, would have developeti the science of chemistry, : ~ n deven of pllysics, ~vitli
the buds open to tht. full, and pass away. Then Tke begirt to apk ourselves whether all this display has been in vain, or whether it has led to a bountifal harvest.