Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-05-18
FE@HUNDRED YEARS OF, soIENcE,

ID,
One of the most eloquent men in France
is NJ. Dumas, senator, member of tile In
stitute; ex-Minister: Of Instruction; Profes.
sor at the sorbonns and College: de France.
When he rises to address the audience there
'a,a thrill of expectation, and : hdshed
anxiety to catch the words that are to fail
from his lips. He has an entire and thor
ough command of the hiceties Of the
French language, and added to this mar.
vellous familiarity with the growth aud
present standpoint. of science. Recently, at
the distribution of prizes awarded by the
Polytechnic Association OF Paris, M. Du-
mas gave a sketch of the condition OF
scientific knowledge a hundred years ago,
and compared it with the progress Of the
present day. We translate part:of his
address - - =
In 17e5, the employment Of the forces
OF nature was limited to two motors, wind
mills and water mills. Heat, had not. been
converted into universal mechanical DO w
er,, the steam engine was unknown. The
sun marked IN its daily return the
hours in the life Of man, but Niepee and
Daguerre had not made use Of its light as
the 'doc'le instrument Of art photography
had not yet entered into the imagination Of
man., - -. =,
Electricity had neither given us the
Voltaic pile, which decomposes the most
obstinate compounds, nor the galvauoplss>
ito art, which plates the metals without
the aid of fire, nor the electric light, nor
the electric telegraph, and other. marvels
of modern times, due to the genius Of Am
pere; nor the formidable Ruhmkorff coil,
the rival of gunpowder,, and the just object
of highest reward. Chemistry had no ex-
istence. Lavoisier had not yet immortal
lied his name by those saiscoYeries. which
explain the reciprocakr relations of matter
composing the surface Of the earth. with
the. same clearness that :Newton's laws .af2:
ford the key TO the movements of the stars
which adorn the heavens. Earth, air and
water had not bocn dcoompossd the ma
,ture of the metals and that Of carbon was
unknown the acids, allsalis and salte, now
employed in SO many arts, then only offer:
ed obscure problems; the cause Of COM
bustion was ignored !; the existence Of. gas,
distinct from atmosbheric air. had not been
determined; the .proximate principle : 81
plants sand animals had not bean defined ;
their nutrition, .,an enigma !; agriculture
was blind and devastating practice, ruin:
ing in turn the different countries, Of. the
globe, and not permitting 10 any people.to
fix itselfin permanence on any spot; =
e. |. :. The movements the ehangss: and the
.transfoTmation which, affect .;the, material
of. tho :surfa Of tie, s,globet and metamorA
Paose i according. 70 osiinss and places, bad
no Specification for ionr ancesterr.s Tie
circuit. always:in action; which nourishes
tho plant at the expense. Of the soil. the AN.
:imal at the Expense Of the plant, and, which
returns to The soii.through I'll 9: e:amimal.ihat
which il has LOST; those shatmoinies 81 ma
tlre Which onrcopno onsst farmer now nm d :;
deratabds, did not eatef igto tle;; i,a'ag,iilaa
.tiop ofsthe profonndes hilesph era,esntue
" ego: ;sE 81: 81 s. 2, 2: ;.5E
Geology was only inspired. ironiances
the. .cruseof the earth had notbeesn sSpjorsss 81
~. VI