Dependence of Invention upon Discovery. g 



researches which have been made since the year 

 1800, may be obtained from the fact, that a mere 

 list of their titles, with the names of the authors, 

 occupies eight large quarto volumes, of about one 

 thousand pages each, compiled and published at a 

 cost of about ten thousand pounds, by the British 

 Government and the Royal Society. 



In discovery we search for new phenomena, their 

 causes and relations ; in invention we seek to pro- 

 duce new effects, or to produce known effects in an 

 improved manner. The objects of the scientific 

 discoverer are, new truth and greater accuracy ; 

 whereas those of the inventor, are increased useful- 

 ness and economy of results. The ancients classed 

 inventors with the gods, because they considered 

 them great benefactors to the human race. Dis- 

 coverers may properly be viewed as priests and 

 prophets of truth, because they both reveal new 

 knowledge to mankind, and predict with certainty 

 coming events. 



A man cannot usually invent an improvement 

 unless he possesses scientific knowledge, and, for 

 that knowledge he must in nearly all cases resort to 

 a scientific book or teacher. The great practical 

 value of new scientific knowledge is proved by the 

 fact, that when scientific discoveries are -published, 

 there are numerous inventors and practical men, 

 who immediately endeavour to apply them to useful 

 purposes. Since the first application of coal-tar to 

 the production of dyes, every discovery in that 



