Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-04-12
From lac English Magazine.l
iOpular Retrospect Of the progress Of Philosophy
and Science

lFroma lac English Magazine.
l0puiar retrospect Of the progress Of Philosophy
and Science.
Formerly u was esteemed extremely unrhosophi-
~, aud the very summit of i'll breeding in SCHOLAR
::r, To vuiyafIse science IN rendering il nteIIin,.
"i useful Pythagoias, Socrates and Aristotle, on,
flrir 2randest speculatiuns masked in syn,huis of
'ssteri, loc the sole Use OF iivuure tsspIes and
- modern ,iuies, natural Philosophers chemists and
lnysr4a"s, have, in THIS, often followed in the steps
at tier ancicn masters In the earlier ages irderJ
--s'i many so gnorautly nisrd-ul,iIusoply was n
fioe, useless and idle study inapplicablc 10 any
,"taH purpose, except, pcrhaps la exercise i,,.
ha"i> Ola FEW devoted Missionaries who were iIok ed
upon lay The rest oil the world either AS turct y;,i,
!I"'ry, or rs hav'ns nnhaliowed intercourse with
"S'' H'fiis !'"r was This wonderful while philoso-
i"v "asconincd To the cloistcr nnd the SHADY and
Nt'N'n mol abroad among the men of the world,
"S"ep' when 'ciied IN darkness and mysteries
Aa,nng other mighty achievements, the PRES has
'hSpriird much OF this artificial darkncss-broke en-
dI"n the Impairment barriers of the schools and
''r" me veil o mystery from the face of learned ig
ivis'ince, anu solemn stupidity. Scirnrt and n,.
sphy The pursuit OF which WAS formerly lille brtcr
Ian am apology ior ignorance and ieness have now
h"cone nsnni ':sd popular, and begin To he t!omcs,i
Gated ~ every idmly cIcl', from the peasants cot-
IiSc To the psitce of the prince Within few years
i'compicie revelation has thus been effected il. al
most every branch Of human inquiry and coutr, ance
he principles %; husliandry, gardening and uin,ng
gre hchce uecolinS every day better known and
iie prdciIc., results arc quite wonderful Besides
"i' MUS, ohr INC res, aud our streets, are ,los
on iGccs m
F'n'c,cd from The stroke oil the thun,lrrbu our
wetSh,icSt machinery, nu;! even our Sims arc mn in
Hnon by the steam of wafer our miners are shield
"a from ihc formerly destructive explosions Of sub
irTrancan sapours # in shor; we cannot name Il de-
"'rimeD' oi human convenience Which has moi ,,t.l,
rrc""e;i '!ir IN Isl essential Improvement from pliio.
soPhS. An" alive boldly say, all this has been done
w inahtUa UTILITY the Min object of scientific u,,r-
sat- aud by r'jcciing and scorninc away all leaned
Lagoon, AID the theories of dreaming speculation.
- '""'"'Sa'e IN The most iucliigibe, brief, and
popular form, whatever shall appear To us useful or
worm! To he known, and 10 expose wiiatece, u,ay
cdr the aspect OF unluundcL prtcmsion or IN, sIic
h"hiisr, "iil he the aim Of the sactces which we
!'""' "hcr, anu SHALL occasionally continue. Oar wish
~ To eNhiit u comprehensive, b;rd's-eya view of all
iiit * nc'~ doing 10y philosophers and uacn Of sri-
"hce io give an idea OF the most recent improve
"cnis, as well IS chnnscs of ogrrssiun l., our
'icrc !irrasy rraders, and those " i,u have not lei
sure la peFuse the yolum scentif, journals ai,
TRANSACTIONS daily publishing. We shall rlus nI.o
gave philosophers themselves opportunity OF see
IS 'neir Ihos fairly estimated by the Igll standard
OF unity, lay Keeping which constantly before us
sc hope we shall be- able steer clear OF all parN
si'i::t aud Partially.
GEOLOGY.
We shall brGin win the almost new and romantic
srnnce oil Geology, the object oil il is to nyestio,c
t6c structure oil the globe, and the rocks SC v1rL
Son"Nc lis exterior Tor of the INTERIM e can tic
k"owh, r%cept THAI Tie the centre the more,
dG'rsc aud weighly the materials composinr i,
wh'c! cannot, therefore, as ha, been supposed he
eihrr AR or wntcr. Geology is, at present. pe,hap.
ScIcuCg5 ne uttn,
her OF able men devoted u tho study mast som
bf"3 u 10 great advancement. Tie np,f useful de-.
farnents Oi this science arc those which rcIat. to
INNING Tor metals, coal, rock salt and alum IN ,i,,.
comparative ability 10 withstand the weather and
analogous 10 thIs, tic crumbing Of rocks and the
nature oi Tie sod which they produce. On these
sWp"c' we nave discoveries ard facts published al
biost hhii bat cannot here find room Tor an intel-
x le abstract. The general urinci,,,cs of tho
scehce ARE employed IN investigating The axe of rocks
hh"d, WaNeI, and peat and in determining whether
uf.t. W. firm, I,E .a 4. IL.
Tvris, 10y the changes Of ihe weather. IL has been
'in inquiry Oi SOME interest n the science 10 find
test ny which 10 distinguish selis from fresh wa
ter shells ~ rocks where shells are E,uud sncI
te- would at once determine their tcrivd,ion Az
S""eTiy ,s lately attempted something OF ilis kind
bHi lac coniesses himself that he has not arrived M
m"cn certainty Tie i,ones Of Al animal found im-
be'i'd 40 rocSs ne,r Macstfich and Viccnza which
hd hilbert" puzzled Cuyier aud other eminent ua-
ldrh'%is, have been determined by Sonnlerins 10 be-
i"ng 10 spec"s oi lizard, which, from It's great size
c"iJecdrr1 that u Is the Dragon 0f anliuuty SO nni-
1err'iy though (I he Is Ighr) falsely rrpnfed c,Gu-
lc"- Illus cnornors zard twenty three feet il,
irngih 4 plate al The bones nsay be seen Ann Pm +
d. i3S, y. .. we need not, aiicr this. ,lcsn,;r az
h'"nS ~ some rock graSel-pd, the skeletons of
rf"'"o's er'ii"s, hupies, Or c,cn that OF the re-
n,wHUJ "cbasus.
HIEEaALoGY.
an" circumstance most worthy Of notice IN this
sricnce. ~ present, is the ambitious ntlea,p, of II
't"hS' {" frr'lig, the successor Of the celebrated
.
y "nco"i' 'nd icoetky +; combination of Greek
y tn 1nd lcwonlc We nrc sorry TO ,re Professor
'nrs''" add No Brade lending t,eil aid to The pro-
pG- 'iipr of these h,rEtfisn,s
Aim"H every sci"nuGc journal announces the dis
cn"'t "I ncW minerals (; but We are USUALLY very
rfc1' - to 'l's grnumeness Of these novelties go
lfrH"c"ilj thrust notice lor We cannot often
perceive grcrtcr anxiety "a make out :, discoyery
- %" new Dian 10 identify the examined mipcrA with
s;'ec'cs "i8cddy known
= It,e ND or q ,.....' =,
ih'' %" re drclpr, owing we have no doubt ia the
ffrh mn"l"ness, aud tho asilnte larcnno.s Of sl,c
L'""HSn system THIS syNcm, which wis Tor f,aoy
To- Tie b'ck g,onni snd the more ,i,,usq and, 1,al
"S'''S% system II Jus~rW Is coming nto favor and
NV '''e''', "''"'ird prominent place IN the ee-
coso"rW 81, pr,lutiSe ess for family wee propos-
~ w Gcs-r. faSlof aud Mefneam n h u;fh,n,, su
Jicl1,s fe-s iqisHi 5IlnIr. and is economical -
Sr Lcsirr ssve the gcfs Iatur lrs ION ID I,
hr f'rrf 10 d.sfryc'0n w lf.irg hin etfdnrc 10 rt
e. VI" HH,i ore ~ ~ hat Mo ding scantg light
.ha, ge is giis ffagf ~ op-l ,r 81 rea nd he sor
ahYx rtssn ia.lrsi ag rs him Tlere = we ior,,
" = ts-s7g ~ - u. tsso... '-'