Address delivered at the fourth annual meeting of the Anthropological Society of London / by James Hunt.

  • Hunt, James, 1833-1869.
Date:
[1867]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Address delivered at the fourth annual meeting of the Anthropological Society of London / by James Hunt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    1 must iillow othei-s to s})eiik on it. ^^^hat Dr. rrichard said twenty years ago respecting the benefits to be derived from allied branches of study can be said now with equal, if not still greater, truth and force. At that time he remarked that his favourite pursuit did not, “ however, owe its late rapid extension to those only who have cultivated it for its own sake, bnt is, perhaps, still more indebted to the attention which has been given by the learned men and learned societies to correlative inquiries bearing more or less directly on the liuman race.”* In other words, twenty years ago it had become ad- visable, in his opinion, that all the branches of study 'which throw light on “ the past history of the human race” should be carefully studied together. Is that not the opinion of every scientific man who has investigated this subject since that time ? But not to weary you with examples, let me call your attention to the formally expressed opinion of a man of science, who is, unfortunately, not yet a member of our Society. The sentiments which he has here so fully and clearly expressed, appear to me to apply not specially to the immediate paper Avhich called forth the remarks, bnt is alike applicable to eveiy paper at all bearing on the science of man which shall in future be read before Section E of the British Association. Professor Hnxley, speaking in Section E, at Nottingham, remarked,—“ It has, in the wisdom of the coixncil of the Association, been thought proper that a department shall be instituted in Section D, of which I have the honour to be the head. It is called the Dei^artment of Anthrojrology, and if I have any comprehension of scientific method or arrange- ment, the paper we have just heard read is a purely anthropological paper, and can oidy be competently discussed by those persons who are familiar with all the sciences necessary for the student of anthro- pology.” No one here, I am snre, will doubt the truth of these remarks. They are alike honourable to Professor Huxley’s candour and good sense. We go a little further, and say that this is true, not only of the particular paper which called forth these remarks, but that these woi’ds might with great advantage be read aloud, after every paper bearing on the science of man which shall in future be read either in Section E of the British Association, or any other place wliere the whole bearing of such communication cannot bo fully and freely discussed. Tims the existence of our Society, and a department for our science in the annual scientific congi-ess of this country, is not only a scientific, but also a logical necessity. Onr fiercest opjDonents mnst admit that our princi2')les on this fundamental point are unassail- able. Onr existence and onr success alike proclaim the truth of this law. During the past year it has fallen to my lot to make an attempt to convince some of onr brother students of the truth of these proposi- tions. In this I regret to say I have failed. Passion and prejudice arc yet too strong, it may be, on both sides to allow of a iinani- mous agreement on tliis point. But the time is, most assuredly, fast approaching wlien the truth Ctan be no longer ignored. The sooner that time arrives the better for the credit of British science, and espe- * Address to E. S., 1847.