The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-05-27
THE LITERATURE OF SCIENCE,

THE LITERATURE OF SCIENCE.
1t is IN extraordinary fact, and yet COM
nonpIace one, that true science is scarcely
ever disseminated among what arc called
''i!e Masses" viz: {: those who make up the
| bulk Of our population. We have colleges.
, schools, and literature for the education and
improvement Of the people, but Of their
general value. or, rather the width of their
scope, we can only say tina, it is lamcmtaby
small. For present consideration we shall
only take the literature.
We may conveniently divide scientific
literature into two broad divisions; books
and newspapers, or periodicals. Of the
former there are many treating Of every
science, and going deeply into the hidden
mysteries Of nature, but the only reliable
ones are those written by men of high re-
pu'c and good education these are, unfor-
tuna'ely, the very men who are most liable
to fall into the great error Of long and hard
wor,:s-iL is not done Intentionally, but
the habit which they have acquired of usin.
technical expressions and Latin names for
common things.
Another drawback to these books is their
price, which is always high, from the fact
that they are only expected to have lim-
ted circulation. Now, we ask our readers
what chance has an ordinary man, who
really wants information on some subject,
Of obtaining it from the best and only re-
liable books7 His education is simply
reading and writing, and then, perchasc, he
had to study nature while picking stones off
farm and obtained bis knowledge of
chemistry while errand-Loy TO druggist.
His college has been the workshop; his
desk, the plow, the anvil, or the loom his
study. the noisy yard full Of men enjoying
their hours relaxation from labor. What
time, we ask, has he to conquer hard names
and learn new tongue? None at all;
and if tile desired information is not to be
obtained in his own way, lie will have to do
without it. Again, it is true that there are
innumerable carl-loa IS of books written on
| ''popuar science;" but we would as soon
recommend man to drink Mt pool Of
dirty water as to seek information from
them. 1t is true they contain science, but
it is very bad; as it is true the pool con-
tans water, but who would drink it if they
knew there was clear, bubbling, running
stream within mile or twoa There are,
OF course, many good ones, and they are
noble exceptions 10 the general rule --if gem
eral rule it is-that popular science is too
popular to be good. IS s
and periodical; atBs a sJ.sl shss I sasssht ii.
literature'of the.hour, )sfor alis fna.
ton that is. wanted ty tie n1issssaea bsnut 81
ingenious. -Letus fora snsmasn, ssssfsw
well! the news Is his is is
nearyseyery stats.weS find AZ s4esets oasstys.
riaaiat e sale, aS5Gss
to'edueations ~ ssaay eyerbs nsss:
paper has column. 8 ssslgsStsa 6s;kiSsj
r matter,, called Arts, Science, ana inyen.
tons, or Science and mechanic arts."-
The.aailiessins Their. .tyss, -aeeasiouailyse give
J scientific article, and always rssag SAD IsS III
ford any Information in their power id &c
Answers 70 zcorrespo dents -z=usuaily she
} most htefsstipg calpsph 81 yyaes s s.
) These are The meaas Ri spfssd.
ing science, in all its phases, arl,ong Ti5e
people; add d te these, Ourselves lef whom
we do not cay much when westate that the
Scientific American is the most popular %,
al teachers tbIouehout The UnitedAs taies
saad Canada and q few minor papers delS;
!! ! |tsa special interests il com,aersess rasS
Small Las this account may seem to- aIal
sith the jgnos.1ss existing, siiIIsi, isIi
lposyetfe! 81, ik1d s3l / il I'M
!, , Ecobqast nun dsss m IN
. the swatesll tas 4 Y