Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-08-03
MODERN sUpERsrITIoNs.

belief In such occurrences as are con-
trary to a natural law, known as such
and recognized by science. or in the
assumption Of supernatural cruises,
which are therefore in contradiction
with the laws of Nature, or contain ac-
tually observed natural phenomena.
The author points out the fact that
natural sciences have, in consequence
of the great discoveries in modern
times, gained considerable influence
over our whole Intellectual culture,
and the sphere Of superstition Is con-
tinually becoming, on this account,
confined within narrower limits. Still
It thrives with luxuriant growth, but
In new directions, and this may be re-
ferred to the failure OF the natural SCI
cnces to become the common property.
of the educated classes. IA well edu-
Gated man is required to speak and
write correctly. to be familiar with one
or several sciences or arts; but it Is
not considered a sign Of defective edit
cation If anyone hardly knows the sur
face Of his own body-the skin and
is as ignorant Of the circulation Of the
blood, Of the process Of respiration'
and other physiological phenomena,
as a schoolboy Is Of Sanscrit; If he
does not know enough to explain the
simplest events occurring every mo-
ment before his senses, because the
law OF gravitation, the theory of fic-
ton, the acoustic laws, ETC., are as
Greek to him. OF the first kind of
superstition as above defined, an illus
tration Is offered in s'the notorious wiz
ard, Hume" who, among other tricks
before assemblies Of we'll educated peo-
pie in Paris, raised himself up to the
ceiling Of the room, and lowered there
for some length Of time. at is true
the room was dark, and it Is not quite
plain how the lowering was observed"
In this, as in all the featS Of legerde-
main performed by the spiritualists,
table-turners, ETC., the gift seems after
a while to be lost, aud the c~onjurers
find 1t more to their interest to try
other vocations. This is the case with
Mr.. Hume. The mania for table turn
ing which prevailed epidemically some
years ago, will illustrate the second
variety of superstition-a phenomenon
easily explained by we'll known me-
chanical laws, was attributed to cer-
tain magical powers hitherto unknown.
A modern marvel is already extinct,
viz, the retina Of the eye Of Il MUIR
dered man showing a complete photo
graphic likeness Of the murderer.
Somnambulist dreamsrs have again
and again astonished their credulous
believers by the artitice Of reading
sealed letters laid upon the breast, and
there may be still some persons who
prefer to believe in such q miracle
rather than be convinced Of the i'm
posture by frequent exposure. 1t is a
most significant fact that the premium
of ten thousand francs $4,000, which
the French Academy Of Sciences Of
fered more than forty years ago, has
never yet been claimed. Not a single
somnambulist has, we believe, within
this long time, ever applied for the
opportunity of submitting to that ex-
animation. Notwithstanding all public
advertisements. IN specializing and
reasoning oil the discovery OF add,
tional natural laws, it must be borne
In mind that no one Of these can OF
will be discovered which forms 4 con-
tradiction to or exception from any
one of those that are already known.
Even apparent deviations from a nat
ural law furnish, on closer examine
ton, a fresh confirmation Of Its real
ity. A memorable example In point
is the discovery Of the planet Neptune,
which had been positively predicted
already in 1910 by the celebrated as
tronomer Bessel, upon the ground OF
the irregularities in the course OF ur-
banus, and which was actually accom-
plished by Leyerrier seven years after
ward. 1t is singular how many vagl-
ries Of belief have been INDUCED in
which the simplest investigation has
shown to be without any foundation
whatever. 1t required Committee OF
the Paris Academy to visit 81. Malo,
France, to show the utter fallacy OF
the common belief Of the people OF
that place, that cases Of death occurred
only at the time Of the ebb tide. y
documentary evidence Of the church
record for a hundred years proved that
neither the ebb nor Hood tide had
the least apparent influence OH the
mortality Of that place. The still cur
rent belief.in the influence of the moon
on the weather, is contradicted by the
experience of astronomers at observa-
tories and meteorological stations.
Thus the carefully kept records Of the
observatory at Munich. for a period OF
more than forty years, show that OH
the days of the full moon, Of the new
moon, and Of the two quarters Of the
moon, the weather changes neither
more nor less frequent than on any
other day. Equally illusory Is the be-
lief in 4 particular influence Of the
moon upon the growth Of plants, and
that wood felled during the increase OF
the moon decays more quickly than
when felled during the wane OF the
moon. We have ye. to hear Of the ex'
pertinent being made Of telling two
equally sound trees Of the same age
and variety-one during the increase
the other during the Wane Of the moon
of preserving them under equal con-
ditions, and then observing the changes
which the wood will undergo.