138 Tli A. \S ACTIONS OF THE AMEBIC AN INSTITUTE. 



tie — liow much . or how little he must always doubt. As a conse- 

 quence foreign patents are of doubtful vulue, and the whole system 

 has fallen into some disrepute. I suppose that the foreign patents of 

 American inventors, that have been copies of patents jDreviously 

 granted in this country, are the best that are granted abroad, and I 

 know that many an English or French invention, that has been pat- 

 ented without difficulty there, has been stopped in its passage 

 through our office, by a reference to some patent previously granted 

 in this country, or perhaps in the very country of its origin. In 

 spite of our examination, which rejects over one-third of all the 

 applications that are made; or, more properly, because of it inven- 

 tion has been stimulated by the hope of protection ; aiid nearly as 

 many patents will issue in the United States this year as in the 

 whole of Europe put together, including the British isles. But a few 

 days ago I took up a volume of Italian patents to see what progress 

 the new kingdom was making in invention, M'hen I was amused and 

 gratified to find on every page the name of the universal Yankee, 

 repatenting there his American invention, and, I suspect, much the 

 best customer in the patent office of united Italy. Tiie truth is, we 

 are an inventive people. Invention is by no means confined to our 

 mechanics. Our merchants invent, our soldiers and our sailors 

 invent, our schoolmasters invent, our professional men invent, aye, 

 and our women and our children invent. Cheap protection has been 

 a fertilizer that has produced much growth of brain and much fruit 

 of discovery. One man lately wished to patent the application of 

 the Lord's Prayer, repeated in a loud voice, to prevent stammering ; 

 another claimed the new and useful attachment of a weight, or other 

 article possessing gravity, to a com- 's tail to prevent her from switching 

 it while milking ; another proposed to cure worms by extracting them 

 by a delicate line and a tiny hook baited with a seductive pill ; while 

 a lady })atented a crimping pin, which she declared might also be used 

 as a paper-cutter, as a skirt supporter, as a paper file, as a child's pin, 

 as a boquet-holder, as a shawl-fastener, or as a book-mark. Do not 

 suppose that this is the highest flight which the gentler sex has 

 achieved. It has obtained many other patents, some of which have no 

 relation to wearing apparel, and are of considerable value. But, I am 

 asked what pro})ortion of all patented inventicms prove to be valuable, 

 to their projectors as to the public ? One-tenth ? Probably not much 

 more than that ; but, let it be remembered, there are few failures so 

 harmless as that of a useless invention. The patent gives it a chance 



