The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-03-04
From the Scientific Americsn.l
Man, or the Living Machine.


The Right Rev. Thomas NJ. Clark, Bisho
of Rhode Island, recently delivered yer
interesting lecture on man, at Trsnors hal
in the Sixth avenue. He began with alludu
to the complicated machinery OF an orrery
used in illustrating the motions of the heav
emily bodies. The machinery of man was tn
same but more complicated and more myste
rious. There we're in the room one hundrei
perfect machines, with all the bolts, screws
levers, and other appurtenauces of machinery
There were also one hundred steam engine
with valves, wheels revolving, and steam
generating. There were also enc hundrec
galyanic batteries with electrical currents il
full operation. These machines we're MOI
over SIX feet long and often less, and, as il
frequently happeaed, there was the largest
power in the smaller machines; as for in.
stance, in the fret great Napoleon A peeu-
liarity about these machines was their reguls,
ting themselves as well as their power Of re-
production. He referred to the use of the
hand. Six thousand years ago it was used ii,
collecting materials for clothing the human
body, and in gathering sticks and rubbin.
them together to make FIRE to warm the
body. The hand had worked wonders sinca
Speaking Of man as one machine, it had sub
dued, he said, and replcnished the earth. This
man had cut down forests, had built cities :
constructed ships, the steam engine and tn
telegraph-bees made most perfect cells, beay-
ers bailt bridges, and other animals showed
diversity Of mechanical skill. But none o.
these animals had improved. They were tbs
same to day as thousands, of years ago; Dc
an rgao of lie i,
cessors. 1t was not SO with men; he was con
stantly improving and would continue to i'm
prove. Next he spoke of the transmission Of
certain characteristics both in the brute and
the human creation. The young of 8 hep
herds dog would, for instance, take to guard
ing sheep instead of worrying them, the nat
ural instinct of dogs. With mans influence
of a generic character often showed them
selves through generations. The mystery Of
man had never been solved-never would be,
No perfect automatom had ever been made.
and yet man would stand in health without
effort, and almost unconsciously. He alluded
to the delicate formations of the eye and the
ear What give sight to the eye? What
give hearing to the carr Here was mystic
ry, and the only solution was that the soul
was the center of the senses. The body. ha
urged, was but a mass of sinews and gases. q
mixture of solids and liquids The soul was
really the living man. A marvel transcend
ing all others was the Transmission of thought
through the medium of speech. A Thoughts
possessed him; he gave motion to the COM
plex machinery Of his throat, opened his
mouth, moved his tongue and lips, gave vi
bratery motion to the air and the thought, az
q spoken utterance, reached the tympanum of
another's year, and the latter, by the same
process, sent back his or her thought to him,
From this topic he proceeded to speak of the
effects OF climate on man. No great man. he
insisted, was ever born near the equator, and
neither was the country of the Esquimaux
favorable to the production of genius Tho
men of real power-the great leaders and
shapers Of the world destiny, were born in
the temperate zone. He urged in this con-
nection that the proper education of the soul
through the body; good air and good food
we're essential point that he forcibly illus.
tratsd at some length. DEPRESSING from this
point he gave his views upon the effect Of
spurious liquors upon the body.
Liquor slammed all the doors of the soul
and kicked up as much commotion as if sa
many evil spirits should commence playing
upon all the organs in this city After allua
ing next to the specific form Of various anes-
thetic agents upon the human system, he
spoke OF the power of panics and cited sever.
al ludicrous instances bearing upon this point.
He also referred to election excitements,
speaking particularly of the Tippecanoe OK
element in 1910, which, he said, caused the e
solid men of Boston to kick up antics in the
street which they would whip their children
for doing. His next topic was dreams. which
he showed to be among the most inexplicable
mysteries in connection with man. A most
interesting depression was here indulgod in ON
the subject Of spiders He instanced tina
capture of snake by one, and also
gave an experience of his own with one, that
some years ago wove web in his study This
spldefhe took under his charge and fed him,
and the latter, as human beings are apt to da
when helped, relied on him for his daily food,
One day he threw piece of sugar into the
web. The spider made for it, thinking doubt
less it was food, but discovering its nature.
was intensely Disguised, and at once essayed
its removal. He tugged on it awhile to loosea
it from the web, but was unable to do this
for meditation, he soon return
ed, cut off one after another of the enveloping
threads, and down foil the piece of sugar, anil
then repaired damages. Here he insisted.
was thought, and he gave other equally and
curious and interesting illustrations, evincins
in dumb creation the same capacity of thought
Reverting to man in conclusion, he spoke Of
life here as preparation for Immortality, and
the duties incumbent on man.