OUTLINE OF BIOLOGICAL PROGRESS 7 



into the meaning of the facts. The detached facts are some- 

 times tedious, the interpretations always interesting. 



The growth of the knowledge of organic nature is a long 

 story, full of human interest. Nature has been always the 



* * ^ 



same, but the capacity of man as its interpreter has yaried. 

 He has had to pass through other forms of intellectual activ- 

 ity, and gradually to conquer other phases of natural phe- 

 nomena, before entering upon that most difficult task of 

 investigating the manifestations of life. It will be readily 

 understood, therefore, that biology was delayed in its devel- 

 opment until after considerable progress had been made in 

 other sciences. 



It is an old saying that "Truth is the daughter of Time," 

 and no better illustration of it can be given than the long 

 upward struggle to establish even the elemental truths of 

 nature. It took centuries to arrive at the conception of the 

 uniformity of nature, and to reach any of those generaliza- 

 tions which are vaguely spoken of as the laws of nature. 



The Men of Science. In the progress of science there is 

 an army of observers and experimenters each contributing 

 his share, but the rank and file supply mainly isolated facts, 

 while the ideas take birth in the minds of a few gifted leaders, 

 either endowed with unusual insight, or so favored by cir- 

 cumstances that they reach general conclusions of importance. 

 These advance-guards of intellectual conquest we designate 

 as founders. What were they like in appearance? Under 

 what conditions did they work, and what was their chief aim ? 

 These are interesting questions which will receive attention 

 as our narrative proceeds. 



A study of the lives of the founders shows that the scien- 







tific mood is pre-eminently one of sincerity. The men who 

 have added to the growth of science were animated by an 

 unselfish devotion to truth, and their lasting influence has 

 been in large measure a reflection of their individual char- 



