The burning fagot rescued mankind from the shackles of darkness, and the
grease-lamp and tallow-candle have done their part. Progress was slow in
those early centuries because the great minds of those ages
philosophized without a basis of established facts: scientific progress
resulted more from an accumulation of accidental discoveries than by a
directed attack of philosophy supported by the facts established by
experiment. It was not until comparatively recent times, at most three
centuries ago, that the great intellects turned to systematically
organized scientific research. Such men as Newton laid the foundation
for the tremendous strides of to-day. The store of facts increased and
as the attitude changed from philosophizing to investigating, the
organized knowledge grew apace. All of this paved the way for the
momentous successes of the present time.

The end is not in sight and perhaps never will be. The unexplored region
extends to infinity and, judged by the past, the momentum of discovery
will continue to increase for ages to come, unless the human race decays
through the comfort and ease gained from utilizing the magic secrets
which are constantly being wrested from nature. Among the achievements
of science and invention, the production and application of artificial
light ranks high. As an influence upon civilization, no single
achievement surpasses it.

Without artificial light, mankind would be comparatively inactive about
one half its lifetime. To-day it has been fairly well established that
the human organism can flourish on eight hours' sleep in a period of
twenty-four hours. Another eight hours spent in work should settle man's
obligation to the world. The remaining hours should be his own.
Artificial light has made such a distribution of time possible. The