New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-19
TIE POPLAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.

DR.. YOumans has given very solid num-
Der this month with greater variety Of scientific dis
cus.Ion, and Of it Of aggressive character
than is usual The paper on six Worms" translated
by Miss L. A. Youmans from the French Of Prof de
Quatrefages filed with interesting facts with regard
10 the history and habits of that animal and the cult
walton OF silk In Mental Science and Sociology" Mr.
Herbert Spencer eombas the prevalent illusion that cor
rect action necessarily produced by sound knowledge
In his opinion the general theOem true that cognton
does lead action. 1t is knowledge which is
the moving agent conduct but it is always the feeling
connected with that knowledge Every rational system
Of human discipline must conform to this fact. But
much Of our legislation tacitly the opposite
Many schemes are pushed forward founded the pos
tulae that conduct is determined not by feelings but
by cognitions For else is the assumption under
lying this urging on Of organizations for teach
ingi What the rOotnOton common TO Secuariss and
Denominatonaliss but the notion that spread Of know
edge is the one thing needfu for lettering behavior
Having both swallowed certain statistical iallacies
there has grown up them the belief that State
educ alton Will check i'll doing In newspapers
they have often met with comparisons between the
numbers Of criminals who read and write and the
numbers who cannot; and, finding the numbers who
cannot greatly exceed the numbers who can, they
cept the inference that ignorance the OF crime
II does to them TO ask whether other sta
tstics similarly drawn up would not prove with like
concusyeness that crime is caused by absence Of abu
tons by lack OF clean nen or ny bad ventilation
by want of a separate bedroom. Go through any Jail
and ascertain how many prisoners had been in the habit
of taking a morning bath, and you would fDd that
crminality habitually went with diruDess of skin.
Count up those who had possessed "A second suit Of
clothes and a comparison Of the figures would show
YOU that but a small percentage OF criminals
habitually able To change their garments. In
gulrc whether they had lived in main streets down
courts and you would discover that nearly all urban
crime from holes and corners similarly, fanat
ca advocate OF total abstinence Of sanitary improve
ment could get equally strong statistical Qualifications
for his belief. But IT, not accepting the random infer
ence presented TO you that ignorance and crime
cause and effect you consider, as above whether crime
may not with equal be ascrbed TO various other
causes you are led TO that really connected with
an inferior mode OF life, itself usually consequent
gna nferiorty OF nature and you are led to that
Ignorance simply OF the concomtants, no more TO be
held the cause than other concomitants
Among other important articles in this number.
President EliOts argument against National Univer
sityL "Agassiz and DarwinsnI." by Prof John FIske
The Primary Concepts OF Modern Physical Science"
attacking the atomic theory, by D. b. Stale, and Gla
ciers and their Invest cations" by Prot. Tyndal In
the Editors Table, there some temperate
structures on President Smiths address before the
American Scientific Association, Of which the
drift may be from the following paragraphs
81 The address Of the retiring president j. Lawrence
Smith, while containing many excellent suggestions
not conformed TO the better type OF such produc-
tons IL is the custom OF the eminent scientific
who honored with the Office but in their lives TO
devote the OCCASION either 10 general review Of recent
scientific work. or TO special subject with
which they are most familiar, and upon which
they speak with the force OF authority. Dr. Smith
has been avorably known In the world OF science
chemist who has made valuable contributions in it's
inorganic department The great activity in chemical
inquiries at the present tme rhe important transi
ton through which chemical theory is now passing,
would certainly have afforded the president most per