New-York tribune., 1869-04-15
rnE SEW rhEoRY OF sFEAM.

TO the Edfior Of The Tribune. Do ..I.ia -a.
SIR; | solicit your further indulgence on ac-
count OF question which ought have been anticipated
Having stated that the trues exempincation OF nechan
ical and chemical principles TO be found In naSe
and that their 10 purposes as far as the
and forces given will permit constitutes ana
WIN for ever constitute the leading occupation OF man
am asked Whore do you find anything bearing on se
ngine and It's appliance 20 domestic, AGRICULTURAL
and manufacturing operations, to moving boats over
and carriages on land g. Why, In the living forces
now being superseded by Tin Natures locomotive
mechanism including ourselves, with quadrupeds OF
dranebt md burden. Steam substitutes for nien oxen
md horses do not differ much rom the latter a. many
for want OF reflection suppose True there no resen
ance 10 FORM material and construction; but they are
external Of second import in both natural and
artificial mechanism 10 not the custom Of an allnal,
or ashise, which detern,fpos fits specific character
that arises from what within. Confguratons OF the
steam engine being constantly modified without af'
fecng intrinsic qualities Now In the essential points
involved there is real similtude between It and ts
natural forerunner They are substantially alike. The
leading characteristic OF both Is 70 produce and give out
force FOR not only do the mechanical principles rule
In both but the fundamental by which they generate
power and impatt H. Formerly muscular force
oribed 10 vitality the element OF life but the fact has
long been aceranod that respects the OF their
physical energy animals are purely material machines
those constructed by ourselves Thus Prof Henry
In the Smithsonian Report Of 1866 In the early study Of
mechanical and physiological phenomena. the energy
which was exhibited by animals or In other words their
power to perform what Ia technically called work. was
referred 10 the vital force critical study OF these
phenomena has however. shown that this energy results
from The stored away the food aud
materials which the body consumeA that the body IS
machine for applying and modifying power precisely
Oar 10 hose maehfaes iHrented by for similar p.
pose Indeed IL has beep shown by accurate expert
ment, that the amount OF energy developed In animal
erertion, just In proportion TO tho material con-
suined Tho combustibe material may DO con.
sidercd the food OF the steam engine. How is 1t then
that In evolving equal amounts of force We are said
10 consume from 10 to 20 times fuel than Nature
Chiefly because we run energies with O fluid
highly heated-so much TO fuse metals-whIo she
Nc use 1t at SO ioo0 and 5000 f. She rarely exceeds
1902 In robust health blood varies little from sso
Raised TO ll0o nhamed with fover languor con.
situtona arrangement, and labored hurried respra
ton ensuo. 80 suporheated gines are In con.
slant eIacerbaton, burning mp the vital uid But can
onr popular motors De with as low In temper
aturo as the blood of the horse elephanti Perhaps not
at once-that would he too leap for the du and
Indifferent to take, though not for the aspr
Ing aud energetlc-but certainly they may In time ap
proach i. Ths. thoy It considerably below
n2 with uneXam pied advantage has think been male
evident. Lot them do that, and ere long they will DO
started at 1902 the boilngoint OF spirits; but
Ing that point they will consume as much
fuel for the power OF horse shoid for that
Of fye or sI horses The principle OF charge
boiler OF course specially favorable for liquids
being no expenditure of them. ~ rP
Neg-I Iork, April IL, 1869. a ..... =.