The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-18
A Very Tough story.
DIR. MEIssNER's THEORY.

From the New York World
DR.. Meissner's discovery of the principle Of life.
which has latterly caused 30 much discussion in
the scientific circles of Europe, and which has
given rise to 30 many curious speculations among
the savans, must be considered as undoubtedly the
greatest discovery OF modern times.
Motion, DR.. Messner claims. is not simply
tangible substance 7; and "change of place" is but
the manifestation of its presence. Sir b. Davy,
IL will be remembered, claimed the life principle
was gas but Meissner has obtained the gas,
and, by means Of powerful apparatus. compressed
II into solid form, as was long ago done with car
bonic acid gas. As shown by DR.. Meissner to the
berlin Academy. during the reading and explica-
ton of his memoir. II was in hollow glass globe
about two feet In diameter, from which the at
mospheric air has been, az far as possible, ex-
hausted. Owing 10 the impossibility Of completely
Withdrawing the air. its manifestations were TO
some extent impeded. 1t was in the form OF
powder, which when at rest Is white. But after
sufficient air is withdrawn to enable 1t to assume its
activity the cclors Of 1t those commonly in
animal and vegetable life. The globe containing
this powder was suspended from the wall by q fine
silk cord. about five feet from the floor, so that it
academy. DR.. Meissner, when he wished to call
attention to it, removed black silk cloth by
which it was covered, and violently agitated the
powder 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 watch IL
closely, and see how this microcosm would repro
duce from the earliest times of the universe, the
various changes which the microcosm has under
gone. At first all was confusion, bat soon the
powder became brilliantly prismatc, aud uemu-
lous motion pervaded the mass. A sudden scR-
taton of the exterior portions In proximity to
the Qlsss succeeded and flash of light shot from
| all these exterior portions toward the center,
representing. as DR.. Meissner said, the cosmicaI
| light At the center toward which the light
| had passed was then seen In rapid process OF
formation an intensely bright crystal, tho
| to become the central sun in this little
| universe. This crystal began to revolve slowly
and, as it was the only portion of the whole which
had at all approached to solid form, the particles
Of powder begin to approach and unite themselves
to 1t. In all directions the effect OF attraction was
seen, and like myrsds Of scintillating comets the
atoms rushed toward their sun, until ell had
united themselves to II. And now this sun revolv-
| ed with ever increasing rapidity, until. as tho
centrifugal force overcame the centripe,sl. the
ball in whrling threw of ring after ring OF matter,
| and the rings breaking formed planets, revolving
| rythmically around the central sun. Selecting the
third planet from the miniature sun. which repre-
sented the earth, DR.. Meissner provided the presi-
dent of the Academy with pc weyful msgnifying
| glass, and requested him to examine this earth.
II was its azoic age. Not trace Of life could be
seen on the barren rocks, none in the lonely seas
| breaking unimpeded on desolate shores. The
pa eozoic age came on, and the eye
| could trace sea-weeds and the earliest
vegetation, and 90 the astonished presi-
dent went through the mesozoic era and on.
ward, as lite increased Vast vegetable forms
mighty ferns tossing their giant arms in the
gale, appeared. UDcouth monsters crept over the
land and swan in the seas. Convulsions rent the
earth's crust, and hurried millions Of animated
beings to death. Time passed and men appeared
digging roots and ranging the forest. Cities
arose. and history-the story of human woe-wa.
repeated on this mimic world. Rome rose and
| fell. The countless hordes of India and the Eas
ragged and tore each other In mimic fight The
whole course Of history was re-euacted. Ever
Berlin and its academy appeared, and was seet
gaping at glass globe suspended from ceiling
| How closely must the president have examined
this. But unable to endure the sight, as he sas
himself in q moment struggling In the dealt
| agony, be relinquished the glass, and would l0ol
no longer. As. it was growing too dark for fur
Their observation, the academy adjourned, but the
| experiment has since been frequently repeated
with the came result. OF the mlncr parts OF DR..
Meissner's processes-such, for instance, a. hi
having obtained the emotions Of the mind 10 thu
form Of precipitants, as amor pdtrs0 In the Torn
of Q powder closely resembling gold, amor oar
| ginis as q white powder, and resembling snow
| mating all who tonch tit 10 not necessary U
speak at length. II Is easy to see that an enur'
revolution In our philosophy OF lie viii soon take
Mace the basis Of which will be that heat, will
thought, life. are but modes Of motion. That mo
ton Is q substance capable OF producing an i'm
preston on our senses is evident, for II has lonf
| ago been settled by those who oppose the doc
| trine of innate ideas that We can have no know
ledge Of what does not appeal to and come
| through our senses, and we do know OF mo
ton, and it is also settled by DIR. Msissner's ex
| perrin ent.