1 72 PAR T IV. PREP AR A TORY STA GE. 



is also the case in the scientific sphere. Greater knowledge 

 enables the man of science to abandon mere flashes of enqui- 

 ries. It places him in a position to set himself comparatively 

 extended tasks. Much sifted knowledge being accessible, he 

 is enabled not only to study a whole subject, but, in doing 

 so, to profit by the conclusions reached in connected subjects. 

 Lastly, circumstances justify him frequently in dealing with a 

 series of allied subjects. 



The antithesis between reality and scientific truth, between 

 specialisation and generalisation, is thus passing away. The 

 significance of this it is difficult to exaggerate. Fractional 

 studies seemed to be essentially irrational in a world of com- 

 plex realities. They were remote from life, and appeared to 

 yield little insight into the great facts of being and becoming. 

 The world of science seemed to form a universe of its own, 

 almost in challenging and crying contradiction with the world 

 of the senses and the reason. No wonder, then, that those of 

 little faith turned away from science in despair. Science is, 

 however, vindicating itself before the bar of history. The way 

 to reality lay through specialisation and through an intimate 

 knowledge of component facts, and once this was attained, 

 division of labour began to be more or less widely superseded 

 by comprehensive activities. For the far-off future, therefore, 

 narrow specialisation will only exist at the outskirts of the 

 world of knowledge, and large synthetic studies will be the 

 rule. Science will be then truly science and verily reflect 

 reality. 



Already at the end of 5 we had occasion to direct atten- 

 tion to the ponderous block of sound knowledge in existence 

 to-day. These blocks are being progressively more utilised. Is 

 it a question of diet? He who is interested in the subject 

 may take into account the principal and other dietetical con- 

 stituents of food and foods, the accessory food factors or 

 vitamines, the aeration of the blood, and the need of water- 

 all quantitatively and qualitatively considered, and allow for 

 age, season, profession, hour of day, breaks between meals, 

 etc. The problems of mastication, digestion, assimilation, and 

 rejection, with the connected problems of anatomy, physiology, 

 and growth, also temperament, serving and enjoying of food, 

 exercise and rest, general health of mind and body, habits, 

 cost, requirements of the community and of humanity, may 

 be all more or less definitely envisaged by the investigator. 



Is it a question of agriculture? He who is concerned with 

 it may learn much pertaining to general and local climatology, 

 drainage and irrigation, plants and variety of plants suitable 

 for special soils, the best manures, means of countering insects 

 and germ pests, the most efficient labour and machinery needed, 

 the organisation desiderated for success, the demands of the 

 markets near and far, the advantages of co-operation, etc. 



