UTAH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 181 
pletely upset; and through them a foundation was laid on 
which the structure of modern science could be reared. 
In the eighteenth century the development of chemistry 
by Lavoisier aided by Scheele, Priestly, and others gave to 
scientists a new and powerful instrument for solving many 
of the mysteries of nature. In the early part of the nine- 
teenth century there was almost a complete change in 
science. The old idea of the spontaneous origin of life 
was given up; the methods by which plants and animals 
feed and grow were discovered. Science was subdivided 
with specialists working on each of its branches. 
Then followed a popular interest in science which re- 
sulted in the contribution of very much larger sums for 
research than could previously be obtained. Before this 
time the scientist was considered to be out of harmony 
with the rest of mankind; he was forced to carry on most 
of his investigations secretly. As the century advanced, 
science gradually won a hearing. At first it was grudg- 
ingly tolerated; later its more conservative teachings were 
made a part of ordinary schooling, and toward the close 
of the century it was given a place of equal rank with classi- 
cal subjects in the college curriculum. Since the middle of 
the century the practical service of science to mankind has 
gradually become so well known that today scientific re- 
search is considered to be as much a part of governmental 
duty as any branch of the public service. 
The wisdom of diverting public funds and private en- 
dowments. to scientific research and instruction will be 
more fully appreciated by a review of some of the con- 
tributions of science to transportation, communication, 
medicine, manufacturing, agriculture, household economy, 
and other branches of human activity. 
Probably in no practical phase of man’s life have the 
discoveries of science yielded more far-reaching results 
than in transportation. It is only necessary to compare the 
old sailing vessel, the horse car, and the stage coach with 
the modern steam ship, the electric trolley, the steam- 
drawn train, the automobile, and the flying machine to 
realize what the discoveries that made these improvements 
