The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1859-06-10
THE EVILS OF SCIENCE.

Science has wrought out immense advantages
for mankind, and we are therefore apt TO re.
gard the "triumphs of science,o as we term
| them, as yielding only benefits. Bot, like the
tree of ''the knowledge of good and evil" sci
ence yields two-fold crop; and, although the
| good predomlnates, the evil is so extensive as
/ TO do much harm. We may see the evidence
OF this every day. The art of photography
giaddens millions OF hearts by faithful pictures
OF loved ones, while it ministers to that appre-
clatIon OF the beautiful which is found in eyerv
breast by lis marvellous delineatlons OF other
natural objects. Yet this exquisite art enables
the counterielter TO initiate with exact faithful
ness the bills Of any bank he may select; thus
putting It IN his power to rob the community
OF thousands of dollars, and making him more
to be dreaded than an army of highwaymen,
since he operates in secret and his misc hief is
widespread. A knowledge of chemistry has
become indispensable for the comfort of civii-
zed communities; bat by it the very food and
drink we consume are 10 many instances con-
VeFted INTO slow poisons in order to enrich un-
scrupulous men. Pure wines are almost an
anomaly. Large manufactures are established
to make spurious article, and from whlskey,
CIDER, low-cost wine, or some other cheap ma
terIal, are produced, by means of drugs and
dye-woodS, all the varieties of wines from Jo-
hannsberg 10 Port. To speak OF the "spark-
ling wine" is almost figure Of speech, while |
TO say generous wine" would be quite rdcu- |
lous, since anything sEsimonpure" is rarely TO |
be found outside Of the wine-grower's private
cellar.
Il requires some confidence to sit down TO
the most tempting dinner, since late writer in
he CL-ar bar Iac hot A. |
tains alum, bone-dust, powder fints, and plaster
Of Paris; our bread, in addition, chalk, pipe
clay, carbon, ammonia, sulphate Of copper, and
suIphate of zinc; our sugar, among other sIght'
ingredients, lead, iron, sand; our cocoa and
Venitan red, red ochre, lard, talIow;
our tea, besides halt hundred kinds of leaves,
chrome yellow, soapslone, Prussian blue, arse
lte Of copper, potash, and similar 'swhoIesome''
our pickles, even, salts of "copper"
1ur honey, ppe-clay; and our vinegar, sui
ohuric acid In vain would egood digestion
wait on appetite" after meal in which such
1elicacies formed part of the feast.
In sulphuric ether science gave to suffering
humanity a balm of sovereign power. il robs
wounds of their pain, prolongs life, and trans
forms the knife Of the surgeon from an instru-
nent Of torment into a harmless tool But in
hf hSad 96 9 i the vicious and dePraved this bene-
lates time and space, and human life, too, as
we learn, at fearful cost every year. The
sewing machine lightens the burdens of many
housewives and cheapens clothing for the mil
lions; but hundreds of women in our shoe-man-
utacturing towns have been deprived by it of a
light and profitable source of employment,
while their poor sisters in the cities, who
"stich, stitch, stitch" till body and mind are
weary and faint, are driven TO a still fercer
struggle for bread, and perchance to life Of
crime and misery. Science can save life; it is
employed TO destroy it. Happiness is promo
ted by it, and misery caused by it, but only be-
cause man is unscrupulous and abuses it. The
good OF science overpowe:ingly predomnates,
but it is we'll sometimes TO look at the diverse
side.