In simple terms,the primary purpose of the Discussion is to show the relationships among observed
facts.To emphasize this point,I always tell the old story about the biologist who trained a flea.
After training the flea for many months,the biologist was able to get a response to certain commands.
The most gratifying of the experiments was the one in which the professor would shout the command
"Jump," and the flea would leap into the air each time the command was given.
The professor was about to submit this remarkable feat to posterity via a scientific journal,but he—in
the manner of the true scientist—decided to take his experiments one step further.He sought to
determine the location of the receptor organ involved.In one experiment,he removed the legs of the
flea,one at a time.The flea obligingly continued to jump upon command,but as each successive leg
was removed,its jumps became less spectacular.Finally,with the removal of its last leg,the flea
remained motionless.Time after time the command failed to get the usual response.
The professor decided that at last he could publish his findings.He set pen to paper and described in
meticulous detail the experiments executed over the preceding months.His conclusion was one
intended to startle the scientific world:When the legs of a flea are removed,the flea can no longer hear.