Greek Science and Modern Science. By Charles Singer. (University of
London Press and Hodder & Stoughton. Is. 6d) —Dr. Singer, the newly appointed Lecturer on the History of Medicine at University College, has published his inaugural lecture, in which he instituted a comparison and contrast between Greek science and modern science. "Greek scientific works often blunder in observation or err in inference, they all too frequently accept facts at second hand or without verifica- tion, and it is their besetting sin that they constantly make sweeping generalisations on inadequate evidence. But their firm faith in order is that which marks off their view of the Universe from that of all other ancient and from all primitive peoples." On the other hand, while Greek Science was always associated with Greek Philosophy, Modern Science began, long before the Renaissance, with the solution of practical problems and had no connection with philosophy. Again, Greek physical science failed to progress because its records of work were imperfect. The Greek writers set down their conclusions and concealed their methods. "it is as though we had a collection of the last few lines of a series of scientific articles." Mathe- matics has been a progressive science from the earliest times because its results could not be recorded without the processes leading up to them. But biology, medicine, chemistry failed to advance after the decline of Greece because the Greeks had left no intelligible account of their methods of research.
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