46 Discoverers regarded as mere enthusiasts. 



Many persons in this country think that all scien- 

 tific men are investigators, and that a portion of the 

 funds of scientific institutions generally are expended 

 upon investigation, but such is rarely the case. 

 Many also consider that those scientific men who 

 are applying new knowledge are discovering new 

 truths. And nearly all persons look upon inventors 

 as the only really practical scientific men, and upon 

 discoverers as unpractical enthusiasts who spend 

 their lives in pursuit of vague theories. But whilst 

 the inventor is a great and useful agent of civiliza- 

 tion, there is one behind him who is greater than 

 he, viz., the man who provides him with the new 

 knowledge upon which all his inventions must be 

 based. 



The general aspect in which scientific research is 

 viewed by many persons in this country, is that of 

 a refined intellectual pursuit, which may be en- 

 couraged and honoured for the purpose of maintain- 

 ing the tone of society. The question, however, is 

 not whether this nation shall encourage research as 

 a refined intellectual occupation, but whether it 

 will contribute towards its own welfare by aiding 

 scientific discovery. 



Many persons also look upon scientific research as 

 a hobby or as unpractical, arid upon discoverers as 

 mere accumulators of knowledge, but this is simply 

 in consequence of their ignorance of the subject ; if 

 discoveries were commercial commodities, the prac- 

 tical character of research would be within their 



