Inventors and Inventions

Inventors And Inventions by Henry Dircks. This 1867 volume brings together three distinct works on invention: The Philosophy of Invention, The Rights and Wrongs of Inventors, and Early Inventors’ Inventories of Secret Inventions. The author defines and fixes key terms, arguing that theory precedes discovery and experiment, yet that theoretical ideas must be tested by practical trial to become genuine inventions. He distinguishes invention from mere ideas, and from scientific discoveries, and discusses how inventions arise from a blend of knowledge, experimentation, and opportunity. The Rights and Wrongs of Inventors analyzes the social and political position of patentees, the influence of patent monopoly, and the complex relations among inventors, manufacturers, and the public, advocating careful reforms to balance reward with public interest. The third part collects inventories of secret inventions from the 13th to the 17th century, illustrating how guarded discoveries influenced technological progress. The work opens with a dedication to Henry Bessemer, an introduction tying the treatises to patent law, and concludes with reflections on priority, publication, and reform.