24 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 
could hardly be considered a very favorable influence for the promotion of 
the race. 
Now, however, our boast is rather toward the progress in preservation and 
promotion of life. It is considered cause for glory that we can reduce the 
percentage of infant mortality, that we can check the spread of pestilence, 
that we can minimize the dangers of travel, cut down the property loss and 
the death list from fire or other disaster, and in short, lengthen the span of 
human life and improve its opportunities for betterment and enjoyment. And, 
more significant perhaps, is the tact that such improvement is expected and 
in large degree made to apply to humanity as a unit, not to any individual 
or special class. 
This attitude is the more conspicuous if we go back a few years to note the 
trend of scientific ideal. Read, for instance, the plea for pure science given 
in 1883 by the brilliant physicist. Professor Rowland, for devotion to pure 
science. 
I remember how in my own experience scarce thirty years ago the venerable 
Dr. Hagen, doubtless the most profound student of entomology of the time if 
not of the century, made a most emphatic plea with me, with all the force 
of his German accent, not ,to go into economic entomology, but to give my 
effort to the pure science, “for the love of the science.” 
Now I believe that this attitude differed more in appearance than in fact, 
that the devotees of science, while some of them reaiiy aia not care to have 
their discoveries made of any value to mankind, were really protesting against 
the commercializing of their scientific talent rather than the utilization of 
science for the good of humanity. Often a plea for continuous drafts on the 
original sources instead of mere application of knowledge already gained. 
Certainly it is inconsistent with any reasonable desire for the acquisition of 
knowledge to deplore its use. Nor does it look strictly consistent for a person 
with this claim to sell his talent even to a university or a Research Institute 
for so much even as the moderate salaries that they usually afford. 
But the attitude which I believe is becoming most dominant with scientists 
is that of the service of science to humanity at large, and the wish that 
beyond reasonable return for the work involved the profits should not be allowed 
to pile up for the benefit of a few. 
What satisfaction is there in discovering a method by which to gain a double 
crop from the soil, to avoid loss from destructive agencies, or to double the 
capacity of human labor if the gain is all absorbed by an aggressive few and 
the scientist, the discoverer and the real producer are left with no betterment 
of condition. 
Such absorption does too often occur and it is not much to be wondered at 
that the pessimistically inclined should question what profit there is in all our 
boasted scientific progress if the advantages of it all are to be seized upon and 
appropriated by an inner circle wfiio can. One of the most important problems 
of the age is to discover how the gains of scientific discovery may be equitably 
shared by all deserving members of society. In this connection it would be pos- 
sible to cite some significant examples of men w^ho have given their discoveries 
and inventions to the world instead of restricting their use by patent. 
But such an occasion impels us to look forward as well as backward, what 
will the next quarter century of science reveal to us of the unknown, wdiat 
