VI FOREWORD 



works, the selection has of course been made by a process of elimination, 

 which to a certain extent was bound to be subjective; especially in a 

 work dealing mainly with a general historical development it has been 

 necessary to exclude the names of a great many brilliant specialists^ in 

 spite of the fact that their ivork may be of lasting value, while other 

 personalities, perhaps in themselves of less importance, have been men- 

 tioned on account of the part they have played in the getieral cultural 

 development of their period. For the same reason representatives of 

 scientific progress in the various civilised countries of the world have 

 been included, as far as space has alloived, in order to present as com- 

 prehensive an idea as possible of the progress of science and the contri- 

 butions that different peoples have made thereto. 



For their assistance in preparing the English edition I take this 

 opportunity of recording my thanks to Mr. Leonard Bucknall Eyre, 

 B.A. Cantab., of Stockholm, who has translated the book from the 

 Swedish, and to Mr. Alfred A. Kfiopf, ivho has promoted its pub- 

 lication. 



StockhoUn, Novetnber igzj The Author 



