16 Nov 59
My dear Tyndall
My black ink bottle is broken so Excuse red ink.
I write in reference to what I said in my last1 in regard to my own fees, which last year increased from £450 to £1250 & this year will likely be more. But you are to recollect that my Class2 is imperative with Medical Students—or rather the Subject of Chemistry—for the Class may be taken anywhere. But Physics3 is only imperative for Students in Arts & not for those in Medicine. The total number of students in the two faculties is about the same; but hitherto there have been much fewer degrees taken out in the Arts faculty, so that the same number of Students are not compelled to take the Subject.
But a great impulse will be given to degrees in Arts by our new University Constitution.4 We have also made a rule that Students are to be Examined in Physics before they are admitted into the Medical Faculty i.e. Physics is one of the Subjects included in the preliminary Examinations w[hi]c[h] we are to require in future. This will force Medical students to study the Science.
With all this however, supposing two Professors of Equal efficiency, there is more chance of fees for the Prof. of Chemistry than for the Prof. of Physics, because the former has Summer practical & Winter Analytical classes which the latter has not.
Only therefore take my increase of fees as showing the Elasticity of the University & not as a measure of your amount.
Yours truly | Lyon Playfair.
RI MS JT/1/P/119
RI MS JT/TYP/3/989
what I said in my last: letter 1648.
my Class: Playfair held the Edinburgh Chair of Chemistry.
But Physics: the person appointed to the Chair of Physics at the University of Edinburgh would be teaching physics. Tyndall was deliberating whether he would become a candidate for the post, but ultimately decided against this; see letter 1645, n. 3.
But a great impulse will be given to degrees in Arts by our new University Constitution: this appears to be a reference to the ‘Universities (Scotland) Act 1858’, in which Scottish universities were expected to set up ‘University Courts’, which would become the governing body of the institutions. This meant that the University of Edinburgh had the power of appointing its staff, and deciding on its curriculum. These responsibilities had previously been in the hands of the Town Council.
Please cite as “Tyndall1654,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on