New-York daily tribune., 1858-06-30
Nesn5 n5lork DAILY Tibm,le
NEW PUBLICATIONS..
PROGRESS OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE

PROGRESS OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE
A HISTORY OF TIE L 1SpusTIyE ND I Sc,LSSEs @ FsnA x,,
LIN WgIwILL, l. d Master ol Tnnity College Can
Snese. sso. New YO'r D App'-ion 20.
In this work, Of which . hAodsome Amer csn
edition is no~ gwen to the puohc, survey is taken
Of the growth Of the peys'cAl sciences from rae
ea,sit 70 the mo.t eos per'oo. 1t AIMS 70 srs'e
there brst cbes Of bDo~ltdee rom teer 6rss germs
through ,he several stages If evolution, iAio va't
and varied sssemblase of nDdSputed trush. The
author remarks, " The present. generation 6ods
ltstlf the heir Of vast p.srinOny Of sceuce; and
it must NEEDS c,neern US ~ know toe steps by
wbch these possessions were acquired, and the
documents by which they secured to rs and
our heirs for ever Our species, from tbe time OF
It's creation, has been trave'iog onward IN pur-uis
of truth, sno now that We hsv, reached IoftS and
commanding position, vi tee broad l'sht Of d'y
around us, II must be grateful to hook osck on ehe
line Of our pact progfcss--to review the Journey
begun in early wight snld pfmeval wllds, for
long time continued with slow sdvance and obscure
prospects, aud gradually sDd 10 later ages folio we'd
along more open and hshtsorne paths in rich and
fertile REGION"
The work opens with An account OF the vain
sId hultlers attempts Of the socient Greeks TO
trace Taiursi events " ,hem causes and reduce
them TO their principles. Toough acute and
vigorous, the Greek intellect achieved bat little ia
the direction Of physical investigation. They
adopted ialse method, and wasxd their powers
in ne ifectusl speculation. Bsgullsd with frivolous
ai tanc full aDaIOges, occupied with verbal dis
tlDctionp eDtertaiong vogue add Dd,tinct ide.e Of
the subjects considered, nasectlpg observation Of
us.uIe, aud turning perpetaAly within for the
source Of light they wsod.red sm 'ng interm'ni'le
errors, and contributed but Little to the establish
uelt of trut science. ,methlng was, hOwevsr,
ocpe by the Greeks in mechan c. optics, and bar
monies, but most In astronomy. During the mid
die ages, nothing whatever was accomplished
the way Of advancement. 1t aas time of utter
intellectual stagDa,ion, when men were suck In
superstition and mysticism, entertaining confused
ard extrsvassnt ideas-an ere OF sl4'rh CON-
mentaiors aid ibtolerant dcgmatsts. After this
pIotrscted interruption, the course Of true inquiry
is again resumed, and mechanics, optics and
astropomy, taken up where the Greeks hsd left
them, were carried vigof0u,ly forward. There was
a general awsbeDrg If tho humsa intellect, the
circle Of investigation wss vastly extended, ana
new scleL ces created. The mechanics OF funds
acoustics, thernOtics, or the sc'ence OF heat,
stDolosy, treating Of the atm sphere, electricity,
galvanlsm, mssDetism, chemistry, mlnefalcSy,
zoology, botany, pbysoIogy sod geology, are all
new lines Of exploration, opened up 10 m,de'n
time,, and which are separately traced by our
historian.
TIE scheme Of the work does not imply cir
cpmstoninl account Of the 0etals Of toe clltlVa-
tion of each scieDce, but rather an examination OF
the C ndnions 10 which each decided step Of sd-
vance was accomplished. Yet there s tuffcieas OF
varied ios deut snd personal delihestlon 70 enlVen
the course Of discussion.
The pbyncal tcIeDces are termed inductios.
They have all beer created by processes OF ioddc-
tiop; that 49, by collecting general truths from the
txsuip at on of particular fscts-toe substitution o
more comprehensive theories for narrower veWs'
"a SCRUTINY 10 saarpeDed, remarks extended, And
experm. ut wulupl I'd. Yet tbs successive re.
Placement of tho tbeOries Of OOe period by the lar
ger aid cOUpeier views OF The mex, by no meaa'
inphes that the former we're altogether f,lse
There 10 q perpetual sfrng and separa ion Of error,
but hate Yer 10 true s retained and as.imiaed. ~
IT we're, in the larger growth Of the succe ed ~
time. The subject of planetary mot,Oa will afford
4 convenient example Of the course OF ioductive
&C, ,eptifc pros ress The revolving movements oi
the heavenly bodies eAtly and naturally arrested
,be attention of sll men. BY st'enuVeiy observing
The motions OF the stars danpg Any night, 1t would
be seen that While one tae pOlo'rtaf) 70 u hIed'
the others apparently tsvel rouud tsis IN circles,
spa keep the same positions with respect 70 e's1
other. Tne question then srises, by what scoem'
| ihr.e mo semeDts may Do explained, and tue hrs'
reply Was obvious. The appearance OF the sky
patursly su.ee.ted the idea Of q cOncave 80 p1ere,
with the Stars fixed Oh is surface. Tho nightly
motions Of the ttIs would then be reprs seoted By
.uppos 'De this sphere 10 torn, Perpetu.0y and Uni
forn.ly round an sxls connecting wi the station.
p,lt star; The earth being considered the lmmovs
bic cen or Of the sphere. But the suo has seps
rate motion Of his OsD, m.kirg a coDpkts crc al
among the stars ID the course Of year; it taere
fore csbI OF be sasched 10 rho grand telar sphere
but must move along on its surface, and belong t.
djf.reut sphere. OtDer bodies were alao sot ced-
planets, uaxdtring stars moving along the celes''A
vault WITH pt cul ar a. iud, pendent notion "hic1
made il uec.ss ss,ry to multiply sail fr:ber the sys
ten OF ccnceo,rc cry.tsi'Ds 'phere', ooe o-'as A.
loved to each planet. This obvious and simple con
jeeiufe served an excel, mt purpose at hst, whst
ob,etystons were fe~ and loO.e, aud knoa akdg'
hmitec. IL sp.wrrrd tbe deosnd of the m'nd fo
,xpIsaAtion, aud ~,s useful a. turni 'ans coaer
eut meebs meal scheme BY which 70 arrange sas