The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-11-18
THE VITAL PRINCIPLE.
DR.. Meissnefis Theory.

considered as undoubtedly the great |
est discovery of modern times. We
mean, of course, not merely in its
bearings on the phenomena of pro- |
duction in the ordinary course of ma
ture, for DR.. Meissner's startling as
sertion that he has, during the pro-
gress of his researches, succeeded in |
inanimate bodies, has been denied by
no competent authority cOnversant
with the facts in the case. It is some
what singular that Mr.. Crosses pro-
duction of the insect known to ento-
mologists as the 0cd51GS CrOsSii by
means of electrical currents of eX-
tremely low tension, should not have
been, followed up by scientific men
more diligently than it has hitherto
been followed up, but the general out
cry which met the ''Vestigcs of Crea
ton" Gn which the explicit account
Of Mr.. Crosses experiments was first
given to the world), may, in part, ac-
count for this apparent apathy. 1t
is we'll known that Sir II. Davy tho't
that the principle of life was a gas,
and it is now equally well known that
the late lamented Professor Faraday,
Davy's friend and pupil, was, for sew
eral years before his death, in CORES
pondence with DIR. Meissner, of Ber-
lin, in regard to this subject, and had,
as now appears, no small share in the
honor of the discovery which has been
generally claimed for, DIR. Meissner.
The Memoir, in which DR.. Meissner
presented his views, and gave an ac-
count of his experiments before the
Berlin Academy of Sciences is, with
phraseolOgy which, however, arises,
to great extent, from the necessity
| of giving new names to new things,
| (the same thing that causes Kant's
works to appear oIpscure), is neverthe-
less, a great and even touching paper.
| Great, because of its matter; touching,
because it is a history of years of pa
| tient study and devotion to an idea.
In early life DR.. NIeissner, as he says,
'wasted many years in the study of
the metaphysics, and yet we can not
but see that in the metaphysics lay
| the germ of his recent Investigations.
It was there that he acquired that
habit of patient thinking, and that
Willingness to follow his ideal even
though it should lead him to cOnclu-
sions utterly at variance with precon-
ceived and firmly rooted opinions
which would have resulted at last in
the discovery of the principle of life,
and the Identification of it with mo
ton, and have brought upon him all
that clerical rage which has unrelent-
ingly been showered on his devoted
head.
The generally received doctrine of
the correlation OF forces by which it
has been shown that heat is but q
mode of motion, and that thinking is
equally so, has, by DR.. Meissner, been
further illustrated by showing that all
life ana all the manifestations of lie,
will, love, the growth of plants and
animals, nay, even that God himself
are but motion. DR.. Meissner's God
is the great dninlG nlt1ldi, but not
simply the metaphysical G1linla, but
the actual G1linlG, which can at will be
extracted from matter and produced
in the laboratory. Motion, it will be
seen from this, DR.. MeIssner claims,
is not simply change of place among
bodies, but an actual, tangible sub
tAnce and "changc of place" is put
the manifestation of its presence. Sir
II. Davy, it will be remembered,
claimed that the life principle was
a gas but MeiSSner has obtained the
gas, and, by means of powerful appa-
ratus, compressed it into solid form,
as was long ago done with carbonic
acid gas. AS shown by DIR. Meissner
to the Academy, during the reading
and explication Of his memoir, it was
in a hollow glass globe about two feet
in diameter, from which the atmoS-
pheric air had been, as far as possible,
exhausted. Owing to the impossi-
bility Of completely Withdrawing the
air, its manifestations were to some
extent impeded. 1t was in the form
OF a powder, which when at rest is
, white. But after sufficient air is with
drawn to enable it to assume its activ-
ity, the cOlOrs of it are those com
monty seen in animal and vegetable
life. The globe containing this pow
der was suspended from the wall by
fine silk cord, about five feet from
the floor, so that it could readily be
observed by the members of the Ac.
ademy, DIR. MeiSsner, when he wish.
ed to call attention to it, removed 6
black silk cloth by which it was GOV.
? cred, and violently agitated the pow
der by shaking the globe with great
force. When the powder had become
: chaotic in its forms he allowed the
globe to hang quietly from the ceiling
, | and requested the audience to WatcI
it closely, and see how this microcosn
, | would reproduce from the earlies
: times of the universe, the 'Variou!
i changes which the microcOsm has un
dergone. At first all was confusion
, but soon the powder became brill
n iantly prismatic and tremulOLs mo
v ton pervadeGl the mass. A suddeI
T scintillation of the exterior portion
toward the centre, representing, a
u DR.. Meissner said, the coSmical light
!. At the centre toward which the ngh
p had passed was then seen in rapid pro
cess Of formation an intensely brigh
" crystal, the earliest form of Organi
y life, which was soon to become tn
r. central sun of this little universe
r This crystal began to revolVe slOWl,
% and, as it was the only portion of tn
>, whole which had at all approached t.
q golid form, the Particles of powde
began to approach and unite them
Z selVee to it! In all directions the ei
n feet of attraction was. seen, and lik
- myriads of scntillating cOmeJs tn
"a atoms rushed toward their sun, unit
"a all had united themselves to it. An
"a now this sun revoived with ever in
+. creasing rapidity, such as the centri
N ugal force oVercams the eentripeta
= the ball in Whirling threw off ring at
N ter ring of matter, and the ring
10 breaking formed planets, revolvin
70 rythmically around the central sur
= Selecting the third planet from tn
" miniature sun, which represented tn
er earth, DIR. Meissner provided the pre-:
,e ident of the Academy with power
ful magnifying glass, and requeste
him to examine this earth. 1t we
. SNEF