466 SPECIAL METHODS OF DISCOVERY. 



methods of discovery is not here attempted, I may 

 safely assert, for the purpose of encouraging beginners in 

 original scientific research, that by judiciously adopting 

 and carrying out one or other of the following empirical 

 methods, they are certain to discover new truths of 

 nature. And as to write an account of all the most 

 special methods of scientific discovery, and to completely 

 illustrate them, would be to write a history of all dis- 

 coveries, I shall merely speak of the less special methods, 

 and illustrate them by a few only of the numerous in- 

 stances which might be mentioned. 



CHAPTER LI. 



DISCOVERY BY EXTENDING UNDEVELOPED OR NEGLECTED 

 PARTS OF SCIENCE. 



THIS is the least special of the methods to be described. 

 and is therefore the widest in extent, because all discovery 

 must, consist in developing those departments of science 

 which are incomplete. Where there is room for new 

 scientific research, there is there room for discovery. 



The rate of progress of discovery is not uniform, 

 neither in science in general nor in its branches. It is 

 influenced by all that affects civilisation, either to 

 advance or retard it. The recent war between France 

 and Germany, for example, stimulated the branches of 

 science relating to the arts of attack and defence, but 

 diminished or retarded research for the time in other 

 directions. The different sciences, and branches of 

 science, are always more or less unequally developed ; 

 there exist at all times sciences, and parts of scienc( 

 which have been left comparatively behind, by the advanc 



