86 GENERAL VIEW AND BASIS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. 



or the reward of his labours, and also subject himself to the 

 suspicion of being an impostor. There have been instances, 

 however, of investigators withholding, for special reasons, 

 publication of their discoveries. For example, Dr. "Wollaston 

 worked for a long time in secret his process of welding 

 platinum; I also, a long time ago, discovered a very 

 simple and safe method of rapidly converting ordinary 

 white phosphorus into the amorphous variety in a state of 

 fine powder, but have not yet published the process. In 

 a few cases, also, new truths of science, capable of yielding 

 results of benefit to mankind, have been kept secret in 

 consequence of the fact that there has been no remunera- 

 tion for original scientific research in this country, and 

 that manufacturers and others, whilst taking with legal 

 impunity the results of the labours of scientific dis- 

 coverers, being (we will charitably suppose) ignorant of 

 their indebtedness, have withheld all reward. 



False statements, purporting to be new facts in science, 

 are occasionally published ; and if, in consequence of the 

 circumstances of the case, they are such as cannot be dis- 

 proved, they cause much trouble in science by raising 

 dispute and contention, but usually, sooner or later, their 

 evil effect subsides. Some false beliefs, however, have 

 existed for ages, until science disproved them, and many 

 no doubt still exist, and will continue to do so until science 

 or some other means clearly shows that they are erroneous. 

 Attractive errors have a most tenacious existence. 



Before we commence a research, we require to know if 

 the data are correct. ' It is not true to say we know a 

 thing simply because it has been told us ; ' l and if we are 

 not sure of the statements, we must either not make them, 

 or we must verify them. If we cannot trust the word of 



1 Descartes. 



