246 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[November 1, 1899. 



ELECTRICITY AS AN EXACT SCIENCE. 



By HowAKD B. Little. 



VI. — The Relation of Modern Electrical Practice to 

 ITS History, its Units, and its Beasoning. 



HISTORY, units, and reason are the three essentials 

 to the existence of every exact science. Accidental 

 discovery or observation lays the foundation of 

 history by the recognition of ^•ertain facts. The 

 application of reason to these facts tends to the 

 increase of their number, tUl ultimately the history is suffi- 

 ciently far advanced, and the reason is sufficiently well 

 directed to produce a series of units, which must, in time, 

 be brought together and arranged in some definite system, 

 and the said system, while rendering as many as possible 

 of its constituents absolute, should also bring about their 

 mutual dependence. 



The more exact the science, the greater is its dependence 

 on its history, the more complete its system of absolute 

 units, and the more logically, or mathematically, sound its 

 reasoning. 



If it be correct to consider the fulfilment of all the above 

 conditions as essential to the existence of any exact science, 

 and if the above conditions require no amplification, we 

 are furnished with the complete series of tests required for 

 the substantiation of the claim suggested by the main 

 heading of these papers. 



Before dealing categorically with these tests it may be 

 well to glance at another proposition : — The ultimate | 

 object of the pursuit of scientific truth should be the leading 

 up to some useful practice. Yet, the pursuit is under no 

 circumstances to be abandoned, if only because practice 

 ne\er does make perfect. 



But will electrical science pass successfully through the 

 entire series of tests as suggested above ? 



In answer to this, permit, for the moment, the asking of 

 another question : In which does it fail ? The answer is 

 inevitable — In none. But bear with me one moment yet. 

 I wish to press this point, and yet make no assumption 

 which cannot be justified. Assuming the accuracy and 

 completeness of these tests, in the light of the last answer, 

 electrical science would appear to be the very perfection 

 of science. Yet, alas, we are compelled to make this 

 assertion with one important reservation, indicated by the 

 words, " according to our present knowledge." 



The idiot's reasoning is undoubtedly, according to his 

 present knowledge, the perfection of logical reasoning. Yet, 

 while freely admitting the truth of this, our appeal is made 

 to the majority, and so far as our discussion has now taken 

 us, we are in this position, we rely upon the verdict of the 

 majority to prevent our falling into mistakes such as could 

 only be termed idiotic. In other words then, our reserva- 

 tion may be expressed by the simple statement that a 

 majority is not always infallible. 



Ubviously all this implies that our knowledge must be 

 increased, so that future generations may have more 

 history to refer to. It may be urged that the favourable 

 verdict of the majority is taken for granted here. So it is, 

 but with the best justification that can be found, which is 

 that, daily, electrical undertakings are being entered upon, 

 and information from the past (history), units, and reason, 

 as already alluded to, render the carrying out of such 

 undertakings possible. 



But now to consider the application of the tests 

 individually. Is modern electrical practice really 

 dependent on its history ? Yes, because, apart from the 

 details of observed fact handed down to us, we find that a 

 mere fable, coming to ua from the "dark ages," was 



sufficient to turn the thoughts of many into a channel 

 which ultimately led to the evolution of modern telegraphy. 



It will be noted that very frequent reference has been 

 made to telegraphy throughout these papers ; this is partly 

 because that branch of the science does furnish a number 

 of very striking object lessons, and partly because, in a 

 limited space, a more striking claim can be worked out if 

 it be based, as far as convenient, upon a single branch. 



Is modern electrical practice dependent on its units "? 

 No. The value of every unit might be doubled, halved, 

 or multiplied by any arbitrarily chosen number or fraction. 

 Yet, whatever system of units be adopted, modern practice 

 requires such units ; and, history leads us to assert that 

 the existing system is the most simple and easily dealt 

 with, therefore the one most in conformity with logical 

 reason. Added to this, what other scientific or commercial 

 measurement is established upon such a basis that the 

 consumer is only expected to pay for that effect which is 

 useful to him :' 



It seems absurd to put the third test : Is modern 

 electrical practice dependent upon electrical reasoning? 

 Let it suffice to assert that the electrician whose brain is 

 not furnished with a just appreciation of logical argument 

 and an equally just appreciation of mathematical accuracy 

 of thought and practice, besides having these mental weapons 

 so disposed that they are ever ready to hand, had better 

 pause, and consider his equipment before entering upon the 

 straggle perpetually raging in the " excited field." 



And, finally, if I have in any way succeeded in the task 

 which I originally set myself, I have made it clear that of 

 all sciences as we know them to-day, " Electricity /s tlie 

 most exact." I lay myself open here to very many accusa- 

 tions, and I would attempt to deal with the charge which 

 is likely to be preferred against me by the greatest number 

 of scientific workers. I mean that I shall probably be told 

 on all hands: "Ah, yes, but you have not studied our 

 science, so your claim is absurdly unscientific ; how dare 

 you make it ? " In such a case, my answer would be. Is 

 there any living man who has completely studied any single 

 science'.' I am free to admit that I have by no means 

 done this as regards electricity, and with reference to any 

 other science concerning which I may have gleaned a few 

 facts, it is highly probable that my knowledge there is only 

 sufficient to be dangerous. 



Yet, from what I know of electricity I am compelled to 

 the assertion that not all the other sciences put together, 

 excepting perhaps mathematics, have contributed to the 

 advancement of matters electrical so much as the expansion 

 of electrical undertaking has added to almost any single 

 one of its sisters which have been longer in practice. 



Even at the risk of seeming impertinent (need I explain 

 that my object is simply to bring out the truth '?), I would 

 venture to assert that electrical practice j>er se to-day is 

 saving human life at a greater rate than that accomplished 

 by medical practice. Also it should not be forgotten that 

 while doing this the science finds time to vastly strengthen 

 the hands of the medical practitioner to a far greater 

 extent than has occurred in the other direction. 



Again, the bacteriologist, or let us say the chemist, owes 

 more individually to the electrician than the latter owes to 

 them collectively. But it seems at best ungracious to con- 

 tinue expatiating upon such a theme. Let us look upon 

 the other side of the medal. 



Electrical science owes almost every good thing it has 

 to show to mathematical reasoning. Indeed it is just 

 because so very many electrical problems can be worked 

 out upon a basis of pure mathematics that electricians are 

 so frequently able to prophesy. Mechanical engineers do 

 this, too, to a great extent, yet not, I think, quite so often as 



