Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-08-24
Science-Its Wonderful Achievements.

lhe following is the conclusion OF a lee
ture delivered at the Royal Institution by the
Reverend Charles Kingsley:
What physical science may do hereafter, 1
know not but as yet she has done this: She
has enormously increased the wealth Of the
human race, and has therefore given employ
ment food, existence to millions who, with
out science, would either have starved or
have never been born She has shown that
the dictum Of the early political economists,
that population has tendency to increase
faster that the means Of subsistence, is no
law of humanity, but merely tendency of
the barbaric and ignorant man, which can
be counteracted by increasing many fold by
scientific means his powers of producing food
She has taught men, during the last few
years, to foresee and elude the most destruc-
tive storms; and there is no reason for doubt
ing, and many reasons for hoping, that she
will gradually teach men to elude other ter
rife forces of nature, too powerful and too
seemingly capricious, for them to conquer.
She has discovered innumerable remedies and
alleviations for pains and disease She has
thrown such light on the causes of ep idenlics,
that we are able to say now that the presence
of cholera and probably Of all zymotic dis
eases-in any place is a sin and shame, for
which the owners and authorities of that place
ought to be punishable by law, as dcstroyers
Of their fellow-men: while for the weak, for
those who, in the barbarous and semi-barba-
rous state, (and out Of that last we are only
just emerging, how much has she done, as
an earnest Of much more which she will do ?
She has delivered the insane-I may say by
the scientific insight Of one man. more wor-
thy Of titles and pensions than nine-tenths of
those who earn them-I mean the great and
good Pinel-from hopeless misery and tor
ture into comparative peace and comfort, and
at least the possibility of cure. For children
she has done much, or rather might do,
would parents read and perpend such books
as Andrew Combe's and those of other wri-
tiers on physical education. We should not
then see The children, even Of the rich, done
to death piece-meal by improper food, i'm
proper clothes, neglect Of ventilation, and the
commonest measures for preserving health.
We should not see their ntellccts stunted by
Procrustean attempts to teach them all the
same accomplishments, to the neglect, most
often, Of any sound practical training of their
faculties. We should not see slight indiges-
| ton, Or temporary rushes Of blood to the
head condemned and punished as sins and
crimes against Him who took up little chill
dren in his arms and blessed them; and pa
rents would do for themselves what a wise
doctor Of my acquaintance once did, when,
finding little girl in disgrace and crying be-
cause she was g obstinate and would not learn
her lessons" he went into the school-room
and after five minutes examination declared
that whoever made her learn her lessons or
punished her violently for the next month
would be simply guilty of manslaughter.
But we may hope. When we compare
education now with what it was even forty
years ago, much more with the stupid bru-
tality Of the monastic system, we may hail
| for children, as well as for grown people, the
advent Of the reign Of conmon-sense.
| And for woman What might not say
on that point? But most Of it would be fifty
discussed only among physicians and biolo-
gists. Here [ will say only this: Science
has externlinated, at least among civilized
nations, witch manias Women are no lon
ger tortured or burnt alive from mans blind
fear of the unknown. If science had done
no more than that, she would deserve the
perpetual trust, not only of the women whom
she has preserved from agony, but the men
whom she has preserved from crime.
These benefits have already accrued to civ
ilized men, be .ause they have lately allowed
very few Of their number peaceably to i'm
itate Mr. Rarey and find out what nature
or rather, to speak at once reverently and &C.
curately, He who made nature-is thinking
Of, and obey the g roZuntatena Del IN rebus
yerelotan' This science has done while vet
in her infancy. What she will do in her ma
turity, who dare predict At least, in the
fear, or restrain, or mutilate science, bid us
commit an act of folly, as well as of ingrati-
tude, which only harm ourselves For sci
ence has as yet done nothing but good Will
any one tell me what harm it has ever done?
When any one will show me single result
Of science, Of the knowledge Of and use Of
physical facts, which has not tended directly
to the benefit Of mankind, moral and spiritual
as well as physical and economic, then shall
be tempted to believe that Solomon was
wrong when he said that the one thing to be
sought after on earth, more precious than all
treasure, she who las length of days in her
right hand, and in her left hand riches and
honor, whose ways are ways Of pleasantness
and all her paths are peace, who is a tree Of
life to all who lay hold on her, is Gas you
will see if you will yourselves consult the pas
sage) that very wisdom by which God has
founded the earth, and that very understand
ing by which He has established the Heav-
ems.
70 Cook A HUSBAND. M any good hus
bands are spoiled in cooking; some women
keep them in hot water constantly, while 9TH
ers freeze them by coniugal GOODNESS; some