The New York herald., 1870-12-01

Lecture at Plymouth Church By ProfessoS
YOumaD.
Professor Y0uman delivered o very elaborate ana
amply illustrated lecture last night In support OF the
theory that force, as well as matter, 10 neither
created nor destroyed but Is worked over and over,
always with view 70 higher results. He said
science has lately reacted from the investigation Of
organisms to the side OF force OF dynamics.
We do not suppose for moment that force goes out
OF existence We assume that in all the operations
OF nature a
NATTER AND FORCE
arc neither created nor destroyed. As 10 matter,
that was oil settled In rne Lass century II used to
be considered that when bodies were burned they
were burned up, but that Is not for o moment
considered now. The scientific mind OF this age
stands on the same ground az to force. The time
has passed to say that anything that can be nvestl-
gated should not be. We cannot explain what life is,
what light Is; but we can ind out tae law relating
to them. Water is ice plus force; aid force and you
have steam; convert shat into gas and you
have immense power. Enormous amounts OF force
are concentrated. Seven tons and half OF coal
wonld carry man who weighs lao up TO the moon.
There IL the lowest amount OF power IN the solid
materials OF the earth. When you come to . seed
you reduce TO minimum the quantity, but you have
THE MAXIMUM OF FORCE.
So In the animal creation the muscles have the
Greatest force Nature never goes by leap p non,
matter to the highest form Of force. All rise ~ at
the expense Oh o lall lt taxes great 0xp0nGo or
force to work up an egg INTO bird. The heat OF
the parent supplies part OF this and part Of the
egg decomposes and goes back to the mineral
world The characteristic 0f the worm is to eat and
grow, consuming thousands OF times Its own weghtj
but by and by the butterfly emerges. The worm
stores force; but the butterfly Is an immense
advance In organization. 1t is perfectly finished,
with eyes each having thirty thousand lenses. The
caterpillar Is formed for storing, ana not for ex-
pending. ny can move twenty-five or thirty feet
In moment
AAn 4sASn A.oAscN
large. Ii the horse were constructed as perfectly
the ny 1t would 60 round the globe between two
ticks Of the town clock. Insects have meaning
that ID connected with the whole policy Of the globe
II Is not certain that were there no insects we could
live In the world. In the tropics such great
amount OF organic matter decomp0siEg would
make It impossible for men to- live; tue insect
Is the grand scavenger There are two forces In the
earth--the upheaving force Is fire. the reprcssing
force ls water. The amount OF force Ike the
over, but 1t takes time Biologists don't talk OF
years now, they SPEAK Of ages, OF cycles. As We
have an order OF the rocks 80 we have an order OF
lie corresponding. All agree that
THERE WAS A TINE
when there was no life Then came the mollusks
and fishes, then the mammals ana man, the highest
from the lowest Lyell has given up his lifelong
opinions and has rewritten his geology. He gives
Ml.o00, 600 years as the period since life ap-
peared. For 40,O00.0o0 years there were no
tion 'i is the the same, same that hat has has been been on the
globe 200 900 years. The whole thing Is done by
me- ms Of fbres and cells the materials OF mans
brain Is the same as that OF the lowest anlmaU
We have the brain OF man as the result ofthe mighty
changes OF millions OF years. This shows that things
have always progressed and that there Is hope for
the race If only we can get hold OF the laws by
which the whole case Is determined. 7