New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-22

through life in the uuquestioning and interruptions
advocacy Of doctrines which are quite a. likely TO be
false a. true and are perhaps utterly lncapSose OF
honest deiritiye adjustment Science incdcates
different spirit which is most fscioiy Illustrated 10
thoee bra1 ches where absolute certainty OF CONCLUSION
is difficult Of attainment. Mr.. Psset hss Wged
the salutary influence Of the study OF peuosop.y
in this relation. He says Z" II is great bndrance 10
the progress Of truth that some men VIII hold win
equal ter scy things inst are and things that are NOT
proved: and even things that, from their very nature
90 rot admit OF proof. They seem " think ana or
dtary education might be pleaded as justiiyug the
.horctr that n plain yes or no can be answeredto
every question thst can be plsnly asked; and that
everything thus answered IL TO be maintained as a
noint Of conscience. need not adduce ns snces OF
this error, while It's miscoeis are naniles,eu e'gly.
where in the wrongs done by premature and tensclous
iuGoments | am aware thst these are faults oil tne
I, inner not less than OF the Judgment; out We know
how much the temperis Influenced oy the Vi
our studies and think If any one were 10 DC i'ee ron
this over-zesl Of opinion, 1t should De one ~uo
Instructed in an uncertain science such asphysloogy
In the presept work. the chief statements cJmplsea
urder heat light and air may be regarded as seued
with high degree of certainty, wnhe inucu % tno
matter relating 70 food and It's effects Is less ceat
determine its truth is only approXimative, ana we
have stated as such without hesitation. WINE tne
reader is informed he is at the same time spprsed oil
the ncompleteness Of his knowledge.
An important result OF the more earnest snd genera
pursuit Of science by the young will be 10 ind out aud
develop a larger number Of minds having natural
ATTITUDES for research and investigation. As there
are born poets and born musicians 80 also there are
horn inventors and xperimenters-minds originally
fitted 10 combine and mould the plastic materials OF
rature into numberless foms of usefulness and value
IL is vulgar that the ~ork OF discovery anu
Improvement is already mainly accomplished. Inc
thous htful well understand that man has hardly YET
entered upop that magnificent career OF conquest,
in The neacefn domain of nature to which he is des-
tined ard which will be fastened by nothing 80 much
as more general kndlipg Of the mtnds OF the young
with enthusiasm for science The harvest awa;s the
reapers-how strange that man should nave neglecleo
il 20 long. Fuel, air. water, and the metals, as We
see Them acting now in the living, laborng steam
engine have been waiting from the foundation OF the
world for chance TO relieve m IN OF the worst
drudperies Of toll Long and fruitlessly did the sun
besm court the opportunity of leaving upon the earth
ne,mane nj impressions of the things he revealed;
while the lightning, though seemingly a lawless and
rolickpg sprit of the skies, was yet impatient to
be pressed into the quiet and useful service OF man.
Can there be doubt that other powers and forces
equally potent ard geous await the discipline oil
human genius Not in vain was man cilled upon, az
the very morning OF creation, to " suodue Tue earth
Already has he justified the besowment OF the vice.
roy al honor; who sha speak of the possibilities 'hat
aie waiting for him in the future
The matter of which this volume is composed Is
arranged under the heads Of Heat, Light, Air,
Alimept. and Cleansing, to each of which an n
pie discussion is given, explaining the principles OF
a thousand familiar phenomena, and suggesting
rules Of comprehensive import in the whole sphere
of domestic and social economy.
Mr.. Youmans is great advocate Of light. Con-
trary to the fashionable taste, which rejOices in
"dim, irreligious" gloom, obscuring the counte-
snces of friend and foe alike, and converting the
place of social reunion into q cellar above ground,
be goes in for the largest supply of the genial ele
ment, and looks upon the sun as the jelly sire OF
rich share of human happiness. Light is the best
stmuusto the nervous system. There is nothing like
sunshine to IL AXE the blood circulate freely and give
buoyancy to the spirits. In the bright light OF day
the body gains streDgth-all its functions assume q
natural tone, fresh bloom is given to the cheek,
and we expand in the consciousness of refrigerated
health. But in an artificial condition of society.
artificial light becomes indispensable. This comes,
in all cases, from burning gas. We use those ma
terials for lighting which in burning produce flame;
and flame is nothing but gas in combustion. No
substance can be used for light which cannot be
turned into gas The process is the same, whether
we burn the gas which is brought to our houses in
pipes, or the liquid oil, or solid spermacet, wax,
lard or tallow In the first instance the gas is made
on large scale previous TO use; in the latter, tho
material is converted into gas at the time of burn
ing. But, in each method, the light comes from q
stream Of gas which is lighter than the air, and
therefore tends to ascend. The common candle
is not without its mystery, which Mr.. YOumans well
elucidates If you should try to burn solid rod Of
wax or tallOw, with the hope OF lighting your
room, you would get your labor for your pains. In
the first place. you would find it hard to set it on
fire. 1t would melt away long before it could ig-
mite. But if at last you had got it to burn, more
of the substance would be on fire than the air could
perfectly consume. You would therefore, have a
thick smoky fame instead of clear white light
You must then use some continuance to regulate
the combustion, and prevent too much Of the ma
terial from getting On fire at once. Place few
twisted fbers Of cotton in the center of tho rod,
and the work s done. You have then wick
which, when you light it at one end, sends down
its heat melts the WAX, and forms hollow cup
sIouId itself, filled with combustble liquid.
From this reservoir the wick draws
up the melted wax to- the center Of
the fame BY what is called capillary attraction.
Here, in heat like Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, and
cut of from the air, it meets with change precisely
like that Of the material in the gasmskers retort,
and is converted into gas. The flame is hollow
cone Of fire. The space is filed with Illuminating
gas, manufactured on the spot from the wax Of the
candle and drawn up, as just shown, BY the wick.
Al the candle burns down, the wick rises into the
fame. In short time, it presents too much ma
teria for combustion, and impairs the Light. Speeks
of unburned carbon are gradually deposited on the
wick, forming large, spOngy snuff, which nearly