Discoveries made in State Laboratories. 197 



rooms would be necessary for each investigator in 

 order to keep the researches private and distinct. 



The whole of the new knowledge obtained by re- 

 search should be treated as national property, and all 

 of it worthy of publication should be made known 

 without the least reserve, it would also be desirable 

 to publish the results at reasonable intervals of time. 

 The publication might take place, as at present, in 

 the journals of the learned Societies, or in the leading 

 scientific magazines, and the value of the work would 

 be largely guaranteed by such a mode of publication- 

 The professors should also engage not to sell, patent, 

 or prematurely disclose any of the knowledge obtained. 

 By electing to such offices only discoverers of repute, 

 the nation might reasonably depend for the results 

 upon the known ability and industry of the men. That 

 the results obtained would, many of them, be highly 

 valuable, does not admit of doubt, because long ex- 

 perience has uniformly proved it ; but no discoverer 

 can tell beforehand what results he will obtain, other- 

 wise research would hardly be needed. 



An objection has been made that no one can tell 

 how long it will be after a discovery is made before 

 the nation will derive the chief benefit. The length of 

 time which elapses between the publication of dis- 

 coveries and their practical fruits is very variable. 

 Usually benefit commences at once and gradually 

 widens ; directly discoveries are published they begin 

 to be used by compilers of scientific books, and by 

 teachers and lecturers in science, and are thus diffused 



