The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-23
OITY INTELLIGENCE.
CHEMISTRY OF THE SUNBEAM.
A Lecture Delivered Before the Teachers
Institute, Last Evening, by Professor

large Auul9Dce AT the hall last
evening, to listen to the second lecture in the
course before the Teachers Institute Professor
Edward u. Youmans, NJ. D., of New York, was
the speaker of the evening, his subject being
"The Chemistry of the Sunbeam" II was much
TO be regretted that every seat in the Hall was
not occupied for more entertaining feast upon
the good things of science has seldom been
offered to our community. The drop curtain
displayed number OF large diagrams which
were OF material assistance in rendering the
subject discussed perfectly clear to the
The speaker commenced by referring to the
superstitious belief of the ancients as TO the
character and influence of the heavenly bodies.
According to the science of Astrology, the power
exerted by the sun andplanets extended TO all
the relations of life but was of periodic or In
termittent character. The medical science OF
that day divided the body, and distributed its
parts among the heavenly bodies, which were
always 70 be consulted in the treatment OF
diseases anectinR those portions subject to each
particular influence. In later times, the Alche-
mist entertained a similar belief, assigning to
certain planets PARTICULAR metals, and vainly
seeking to discover 1.-THE philosophers stone"
through their influences upon these metals.
He tortured them In a thousand different ways
in the expectation that those of the baser sort
could, through planetary influences be trans
muted into the precious ores THESE two sclenoes
of AstroloRy and Alchemy have been gradually
developed into the Astronomy and Chemistry
of modern times, and the results have more
than confirmed all tnaG was dreamed of.
All nature is in motion, and the source OF its
activity is the sun. BY the refracting power of
the prism, its rays are shown TO possess a triple
constitution, the portion least refracted being
that which contains the heat of the sunbeam;
then come the rays of light, displaying the diff
ferent eolors of the prism; and last and most
refTacted are the rays which cause chemical
activity. In this way the sun acts upon matter
in every form. Striking Instances OF its power
are shown by the daily vibrations of Bunker
Hill Monument. and by the writings and COM
our rivers But It's actions on fluids producing
the great motive power of steam, aud on the
atmosphere, are not less noticeable.
In digging after precious ores, we have pene.
tTated the crust Of the earth to the depth of
about one mile: and In this way, as well as by
the composition of the metals which have been
cast to the surface by volcanic action, and that
OF the rocks distributed upon the surface, we
have been enabled TO gain clue to the interior
OF the earth and It's constitution. We find 1t
made up principally OF dozen metals, forming
the minerals which Onter into the compost
metals are ali without affinity for each
other, this being brought about by the
great cementing and solidifying agent is called
oxygen, and one-hslf of the crust Of the earth,
toa depth of at least twenty miles, is formed OF
air we breathe 1t enters in even larger propor-
tions. But when separated from the metals,
and called forth by the sorcery OF the chemist,
~ shrlnks nom our gaze, and no man has ever
looked upon IL. 1t Is the symbol OF spiritual
power, the Hercules Of the globe. the universal
custodian and JailOr of all nature The method
by which 1t takes possession of the other
elements is ever going on through the processes
Of combustion and respiration, a combination
similar to the metals of the earth being the
result - the oxydation of the elements.
Thu Thus i goes on assaul,ng, and rnderminlng
ment was discovered in l774, by DR.. Priestley,
but he little knew its power and the grand
II say, as did the spirit OF Samuel when raised by
the witch OF EndOr, why hast thou disquieted
The speaker then drew a parallel between the
processes OF the steam-engine and the human
and oxygen, with heat, force, and refuse as the
similar results, In the steam. engine process
degrees, creating q force which acts by the alter
nate expansion and contraction of steam In the
slow combustion generates a heat OF 98 degrees,
thus creating force which operates througn
the alternate expansion and contraction OF OF the the
supplied to the steam engine, the process
ceases, and 1t becomes motionless; and If the
oxygen, its vitality ceases and death results.
The lecturer then showed how man who
lives TO the age of seventy years consumes all
the oxygen contained in 1lS square feet of air,
from the surface OF the earth to the upper con-
fines OF the atmosphere; but by the xhalation
of car bonic acid gas q man spoils ten times as
much air as he inhaleE. Awake or asleep, In
every action of the body and every movement
on. All living things are continually at work
extracting the vital force from the atmosphere
Yet the atmospheric still remains the same as
in the beginning. The process by which This is
accomplished was not discovered until within
the memory OF men now living. IL Is now
known that the process of fire and the lungs is
reversed by vegetation. Every leaf contains
myriad Of little mouths, which draw in the
poison created by the agency of combustion
and exhalation. BY them the oxygen is robbed
Of the elements OF which 1t has gained posses
sion. These elements and the oxygen are
drawn together by a certain force; but an equal
force puts them apart. The process ts carried
on In the meaneSt herb In q more skilful man
ner than the chemist Is able to set them free.
The process by which our bone, muscle, blood,
and brain are crea ed Is started In the leaves,
the transformation passing first through the
vegetable and then through the animal king
dom. But the leaf can no more carry on this
process Of itself than la water-wheel can turn
without the water The leaf Is the mere
machine through which the sun operates. The
interior processes OF utilization are going on at
the leaf itself is in action. Through its infu.
ence, the particles OF matter are Whtrled through
the vortex of life. The atmosphere is made the
the end return. IL is giving back It's dead
through every expanding lear but the plants
are but tissues woven In the grand loom OF the
air by the magic shuttle OF the sun.
Thus life Is the "dlYinest eftiuence of the
stars for our sun Is star, and the stars, like
H. are suns; Light travels a. the rate OF 10000
to reach the earth from the remotest fixed star
visible TO the naked eye. Five hundred years
above, and hve hundred years below This Is
the diameter of our little domestic stellar FIRE
side circle Taking this diameter as unit and
the telescope reveals great ocean OF dlffused
power, the nebule in the constellation OF
Orion have been resolved into a continent of
stars, the light OF which requires sixty thou
sand years TO reach the earth. IL requires ten
years for the light Of Sirius, the nearest of the
liked stars, to reach u.s. and II the Inhabitants
Of that body are now looking down upon u.s.
secession was brewing, and the "Old Public
FunctiOnary" was President of the United
States. daughter and cheers.l
The heat Of the sun Is sufficient 10 melt its
way through solid zone OF ice one hundred
feet In thickness In single year. and the pro-
diameter into the sun, year after year. at the
velocity OF light would diminish its tempera-
oart A., . 900 O0OIOO NJ ita neat phe raSf ~ dta