From 1790 to March 1, 1895, some 5,535 patents were granted to women. It is a fair estimate that out of every 1,000 patents one is granted to a woman. As a rule women take out but one patent, although there are many exceptions. While the majority of patents granted them are for improvements in wearing apparel and in articles for household use, they have invented and received patents for adding machines, windmills, horseshoes, agricultural implements, and fire escapes.

To some 165 colored inventors about 400 patents have been issued. Twenty-eight patents have been issued to one and to another 22. So far as the records show, Henry Blair, of Maryland, was the first colored patentee. In 1834 he received a patent for a corn planter, and in 1836 one for a cotton planter. The character of their inventions follows lines suggested by their employment. Employed in the field and in the house, improvements in agricultural implements and articles of domestic use predominate. The sphere of their inventive effort has widened with the added opportunities afforded them to engage in mechanical vocations. They have made contributions to the electric arts and steam engineering, and many improvements in railway appliances and paper-bag machines. Before the Civil War the master of a slave living in Mississippi made application for a patent, but the Attorney-General held in an opinion reported in vol. 9, Attorney-General's Opinions, page 171, that an invention of a slave, though it be new and useful, could not be patented.

In May. 1802. President Jefferson appointed Dr. William Thornton as a clerk at $1,400 per year, to have charge of the issuance of patents. He took the title of Superintendent, and continued to act in that capacity until his death, March 28, 1828. He was succeeded by Dr. William P. Jones, who acted until his removal in the early part of President Jackson's administration. John D. Craig followed Dr. Jones, and in 1834 he was succeeded by B. F. Pickett, who served but a brief period. The last Superintendent was Henry L. Ellsworth, who became the first Commissioner under the act of 1836. and served until 1845. The other Commissioners under that act were:

Edmund Burke. May 4, 1845. Thomas Ewbank, May 9, 1849. Silas H. Hodges, November 8, 1852. Charles Mason, May 16, 1853.

Joseph Holt, September 10, 1857. William I). Bishop, May 27, 1859. Philip F. Thomas, February 16, 1860.

D. P. Holloway, March 28, 1861. T. C. Theaker, August 17, 1865. Elisha Foote, July 29, 1868. Samuel S. Fisher. April 26, 1869.

Commissioner Fisher continued as Commissioner for a short time under the act of 1870. Other Commissioners under that act have been:

M. D. Leggett, January 16, 1871. John M. Thacher, November 4, 1874. R. H. Duell, October 1, 1875. Ellis Spear, January 30, 1877. H. E. Paine, November 1, 1878.

E. M. Marble, May 7, 1880. Benjamin Butterworth, November 1, 1883 M. V. Montgomery, March 23, 1885.

B. J. Hall, April 12, 1887.

C. E. Mitchell, April 1, 1889. William E. Simonds, August 1, 1891. John S. Seymour. March 31, 1893. Benjamin Butterworth, April 7, 1897. Charles H. Duell, February 3, 1898.

F. I. Allen, April 11, 1901.

Commissioner Fisher was the first to publish his decisions and to have the copies of the specifications and drawings made by photo-lithography. He also instituted the practice of requiring competitive examinations for entrance to and promotions in the examining force of the office.

Beginning in 1843 and annually thereafter the Patent Office reports were published, which, until 1853, contained merely an alphabetical index of the names of the inventors, a list of the expired patents, and the claims of the patents granted during the week. In 1853 and afterward small engraved copies of a portion of the drawings were added to the reports to explain the claims.

The act of 1870 authorized the Commissioner to print copies of the claims of the current issues of patents and of such laws, decisions, and rules as were necessary for the information of the public. In conformity with this provision there was published weekly a list giving the numbers, titles, and claims of the patents issued during the week immediately preceding, together with the names and residences of the patentees. This list was first published under the name of The Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, on January 3, 1872. In July, 1872, portions of the drawings were introduced to illustrate the claims in the patented eases. The Official Gazette has now become one of the most valuable and important of Government publications. Each Senator and Representative is authorized to designate eight public libraries to receive this publication free. One copy is also furnished free to each member of Congress. It is also sent all over the world in exchange for similar publications by other Governments, and its paid subscription list is constantly increasing.

The American patent system is known and spoken of as the "examination system," in contradistinction to the English system, which has been mainly followed by other nations. The examination system is the ideal system, provided the examination can be made with sufficient care to minimize the likelihood of the issue of patents for inventions not of a patentable nature. The field of search, however, yearly increases, and it becomes more and more difficult through lack of time to make a perfect examination. Something more than two million domestic and foreign patents have been issued while the number of scientific publications has enormously increased. It is only by means of a perfect classification that this great mass of matter can be so divided as to be conveniently accessible for use in the examination of any individual case.