2 Source of new scientific knowledge. 



graphical position, etc., etc. have, however, also 

 contributed to the result. Commerce also in its 

 turn has done vast things for mankind. 



The purely scientific knowledge we possess was 

 discovered almost entirely by means of original 

 research, and to only a small extent by persons 

 engaged in industrial occupations. Probably not 

 two per cent, of all the important discoveries in 

 pure science were made in manufactories ; the 

 scientific experiments which are made in such estab- 

 lishments are usually of the nature of invention, 

 not of discovery, and are not often published, 

 because it is a usual object with men of business to 

 retain as much as possible of the pecuniary benefit 

 of their labours to themselves. Whilst it is the 

 object of a business man to monopolise special 

 knowledge; that of the scientific man is to diffuse it, 

 in order that all mankind may be benefited and 

 helped to improve. 



Discoveries in science are, however, occasionally 

 made by practical men engaged in technical employ- 

 ments. The hydro-electric machine originated in 

 this way, a man at Newcastle was attending to a 

 steam boiler, and found that he received electric 

 shocks when he touched the boiler. This circum- 

 stance was investigated by his employer, Mr. 

 Armstrong, a scientific man, and led him to con- 

 struct the hydro-electric machine. The accumulation 

 of electricity in submarine telegraph cables was first 

 (observed at the Gutta-Percha Company's works 



