Questions connected with the Subjects of Instruction. 119 
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Schools, in teaching and in research, the creation of the theoretical 
foundations for their systematic solution. For the representative of 
:echnical subjects in the High School a difficulty, not to be under- 
astimated, is found in the necessity of keeping pace with the practical 
achievements of technical science, which are, besides, mostly kept 
from publicity. Hence, teaching, research, and direct practical acti- 
vity are all to be combined. Such a combination has shown itself 
most successful in the case of architecture, the teacher of which is 
usually active also as a practical builder, and, when commissioned 
by State or municipality, is not infrequently enabled to prove his 
capacity by the erection of monumental works. 
Two other important points in the more recent development of 
technical instruction must be referred to. 
In the first place, the evolution of laboratory teaching. In 
the founding of mechanical-technical laboratories, the first aim was 
pure research, especially with reference to the theory of solidity, and 
the necessity of creating a practical basis for testing building materials 
as to their technical applicability. But soon it was found useful to 
make these laboratories accessible also to students, first for presenting 
single experiments, then also for independent work. Another not 
animportant task was imposed on these laboratories, when they be- 
gan to serve as examining institutions recognised by the state, and 
to undertake further functions in other technical departments. Soon 
the rise of electro-technology led to a general establishment of 
zslectro-technical, and further of electro-chemical, laboratories, in 
addition to the existing physical and chemical ones, thus producing 
mn the teaching an extensive application ot physical methods of 
measurement. At the same time, the importance of carrying out 
practical experiments and measurements in motors and manufacturing 
machines showed itself more and more. Thus, especially when also 
single Universities, particularly Gottingen, proceeded to labour in 
the department of ,Macrophysics®, by extending their laboratories, 
he great activity of recent years has resulted in a thorough re- 
modification of the teaching of engineering, with reference to the 
practical work of the laboratory. On the other hand, and simul- 
:aneously, a not inconsiderable narrowing of the purely theoretical 
subjects took place, especially of the preparatory ones, as well as a 
loser connection between the constructive and the theoretical de- 
partments of mechanical engineering, and probably also a retrogression 
n elaborating oreat projects and programmes in the teaching, in favour