Chemical News and Journal of Industrial Science, Vol. 111 (Classic Reprint)

Britain and Germany in Relation to the Chemical Trade, of such vessels had hitherto prohibited. The immediate material benefit derivable from the discovery of new means of industrial attack may far outweigh that from theoretical discoveries which have cost infinitely more of attainment. At a recent meeting of the Society of Chemical Industry in London, where some of the views put forward were characterised as puerile in a chemical trade paper, one speaker referred to the futility of looking at the past, as the present was decidedly a time for action. This is a characteristically British attitude. The time for taking action is exactly the time when the closest regard should be paid to the warnings and lessons of the past. The laws of cause and effect which are studied so earnestly in matters scientific, apply with equal certainty to the more complex relations of human economics. A study of the patent literature of this country would be more than sufficient to convince anyone of the reckless manner in which the literature of our own country is neglected. This being the case, it need not surprise us to find that the scientific and technical literature in foreign languages seldom receives consideration. We will, then, presume to ignore the advice so proffered, and will take a rapid glance over the progress of scientific and industrial development in Germany and at home. It is probable that the laws relating to the influence of environment, which have been proved to be so important in the animal and vegetable world will be equally applicable to the development of industries, save that influences, such as national temperament, education, and financial relations of a complex nature, have to be brought into consideration. Industrial development on a very large scale was first rendered possible by the introduction of the steam engine as a power generator and