New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-12
LONDON.
THE ROYAL Observation-Disclosures LECTURES ON
RTIiNoLoGY--A REMARKABLE LETTER FROM BIN
FRANKLIN.


RTIiNoLoGY--A REMARKABLE LETTER FROM BIN
FRANKLIN.
From Our SPECIAL Correspondent
LONDON June 90, 1867.
There is one institution of Great Britain which l
could wish transported to America-only ono-and
that is the Royal Institution on Albemarlest This
institution was established under charter granted
by George Ill in 1900 and ITS powers were enlarged
and confirmed by act of Parliament ten years
later Its objects are to promote seicntic and literary
research, to teach the principles of inductivc and
experimental science. to exhibit the application OF
these principles to the various arts Of life, and to
afford opportunities for study The institution COM
prises two laboratories for Investigations iii chemical
and physical science. In these laboratories DaYy
Faradav, and Tyndall have successively worked for
a period extending over half a century and from
these laboratories since their foundation have come
the discoveries Of the laws of elccro-chemica decom
position thcdecompositon of the fixed alkalies the
establishment of the nature Of chlorine the philOso-
ply OF fame the condensability Of many gases, the
science of magneto-eectricity, the twofold magnet
ism Of matter comprehending all known substances,
the magnetism Of gases, the relation of magnetism
and light, the physical effects Of pressure the alb
sorption and radiation of heat by gases and vapors-
the transparency of our atmosphere and the opacity
of its aqueous yapOrS to radiate heat and SOHO
Others OF minor importance All these subjects were,
as the investigation OF them proceeded treated or
in the lCctuTe-IOOm with all tho experiments and IL
lustraOns of the laboratory brought before The audi
VIC have there not only the results, but every
step up TO them. museum or Breat sci6lil.c ana
historical interest, library Of $1,000 choice volumes,
a circulating library. q reading-fOOm for study, q
newspaper room with home and foreign files of Yarl
GUS interest, and public lectures lasting half the
year. three lectures per week from Christmas tail
the middle Of June) devoted to all branches OF art
and literature well as science lectures III which,
beside all the great OF science iii Great Britain,
Kingsley, Ruskin. Balm and others are heard; these
make UP the most attractive institution IN Great
Britain. One may subscribe Two gqlnea6 ana 90 70
al the lectures, guinea and haif guinea, for
this that course, It's length may be- or one may
pay & quineas and enjoy all the advantages for his
lifetime without further payment. And All these
privileges may be equally enjoyed by ladies. ANA
indeed the ladies do enjoy them. No fashionable
church has more devout ladies' IN its auditory lhey
come when there IS 10 DO "a crowd, ana BRING their
novels and their knitting; and many of thcm have
learned short hand, for the express purpose Of taking
down attic lectures which, indeed, worth taking
down. being always IN the vanguard OF research, and
containing things that cannot yet INTO books Tor
year or two afterwald. Since Prof Iyndal has been
the leading spirit of the Institution, the thought OF
England has had an expression frecr and wider than
ever befOTe-an expression absolutely unlimited lie
IS genial, quickening like the sun with spot or two
appearing ON II now and then owing to the proximity
of the big Chelsea Planet) and Is doing rs much for
the intellectual life OF England rs any living.
Under this freedom, the scientific thought of Lon
don has again been reused to grappe with the
problems that relate 10 man. Emerson once
complained that science did not connect
claimed that astrology, which had each sign Of
its zodiac traced to some part OF the man In the
center and alchemy. had higher ideals. Bet il is
certainly tTne that the scientific minds of England
are just now relieving themselves Of this charge.
The lOudest peans we hear are over the recent
achievement of chemistry i'm creating some OF the
organic tissues Of the human body. The chief lee
lures this year at the Royal Academy have been
upon MAN. Much of this has been due to the nc
cessiOn Of Prof. Huxley as Fueran Professor Of
Physiology And, passing now from the institution
10 that which has recently been spoken there, wish
to give an account OF some very important views
concerning Man. which have recently been urged IN
its theater. Some Of these presented in very
striking lecture by Edward Burnet Tylor,
Traces of the Early Mental Condition of Man"
Starting with the idea that rs arch@ologists trace
mans phases Of civilization by the forms and mateT
ais OF his tools and weapons so there are things that
record mans mental phases. Mr.. TJlor remarked
first the art of counting The lower we go among
Oldfed found one which beyond two always said
b0OtthG-many. Nearly all tribes count by fingers,
five being the whole hand, six finger OF the other,
and so on The Hindoo process differs. For one
they said earth for two eye for three, fire There
being supposed three kinds of fire) the method be-
ing 10 name for each number something that nOml
naly had that numder, O. g., two eyes or wings for
two sui the general rule is to count by fingers,
and to this is due the prevalence of the decimal sys
tenn In the second place he referred to the early
opinions OF mankind as to the nature and habits Of
spiritual beings. With low tribe of Malays every
allment IS ascnbed to special spirit OF hautu-One
causes smallpox another swellings. The lecturer
King DahOmey suppQses that Ivy killing a man YOU
release his ghost and may send il where you Wl
and he daily sends messages by some poor wretch
TO his father In the land of shadows, This idea
existed, according 10 HerodOtus among the ancient
Gee; and it is on record that 50 years ago. in British
India, two Brahmans believing that man had
taken 40 rupees out OF their house, cut off their
mothers head, that her ghost might pursue the
offender, she being eOnscnting party TO the trans
action The customs Of the Indians in buryng or
Daments with their dead, were the customs of also
Of the early Christians who placed plaVthiDQs I'm n
chIlds grave, aud survives in the flowers now laid
upon graves. in Brittany there is a Iete DIES Morris
when supper is prepared for tho dead. Lastly tho
lecturer regarded the association Of ideas as being
test of mental condition among people; that is the
connection in the mind Of things not really related
This has produced the so-called occult sciencesn
When the POlynesian weather-maker practices on
his sacred stone. vets it when he wants TO produce
rain, and dries it by the fire when he wishes dry
weather; and when in Europe water is poured on
stone or little girl is led about with pail Of water
on her head for the same purpose; or q Zulu chews
bit OF wood in order TO soften the heart of another
Zulu with whom lao is going to trade coyss We have