THE BEGINNINGS OF SCIENCE 47 



general law for the relations which appear to exist in 

 these phenomena. 



Gilbert's experiments are an early instance of this 

 method. He formed a small sphere of a magnetite 

 (lodestone) and observed the behavior of small pieces 

 of iron placed on the sphere. He found that a bit of 

 iron tended to lie along a meridian line of this "ter- 

 rella" just as does a compass needle on the surface of 

 the earth. From these and other experiments he came 

 to the conclusion that the terrestrial globe is itself a 

 magnet. He found that the same end or pole always 

 pointed to the same pole of the earth and hence that 

 there was in each magnet a north seeking pole and a 

 south seeking pole. By experiments with two magnets 

 he found that their north seeking poles when placed in 

 proximity are urged away from each other ; similarly 

 as to their south seeking poles. But a north seeking 

 pole and the south seeking pole of the other magnet 

 are urged toward each other. From these experiments 

 he reached inductively the general law of the action 

 of magnets, that like poles repel and unlike poles 

 attract. To-day, there are other ways than those 

 known to Gilbert for obtaining a magnetic effect ; but 

 no matter how it is produced, we may reason deduc- 

 tively from his general law. 



The methods of science are thus seen to be both 

 inductive and deductive. The former lead to exten- 

 sions of the boundaries, the latter to extensions of 

 application. 



