, 1873-03-09

oration (4r6eitsheilung), and the atricter subor-
dira:ion Of tho separate calls to the collective;
lie OF tho organism. Between the tWo extremes
| Of the living world the yeast~fungus and man, ,
there is the same difference as there is between
! group OF individual men who do not know how
TO organize their strength, nu1 strictly -disci-;
pllned, well-ordered army suitably formed and.
| wen armed, md which. by the strict aubordinR-
| t1on OF tho many Wills to the central authority
IL always equal to the highest achievements.
u a true that these scientific researches into
o1oloRy nave Left a. yot the most importaue
tard all life-processcs as simple notifications Of
the other forces Of Nature, and to ascertain
thelr mechanical equivalents; We cannot yet
convert sbsolute heat Or Light into life; and, al
though chemistry is daily doing more and more
to bridge over tho gaping chasm which once
separated the organic-and Inorganic systems i'll
has not yet succeeded in finding out tie precisa
mattor which ':a, exclusively supports the Life
then, the beginning Of life is still wrapped il
obscurity.
After referring in this connection, to ths
transmls8ion OF epidemics among plants AMI
mails, and man. and to the microscopical labora,
Of Leeuwenhoek, Ehrenberg, Gasniard-Le.our,
schwanu, and Kutzing, Prof. Cohn goes on to
say TINT the investigators OF the present time.
to whom Pasteur has given q powerful impulse,
have boon the frs: to establish beyond doubt
that without Bacteria 10 putrcfaction, and with.
out yeast-fungi no fermentation takes place !;
that this decomposition is accomplished only.
through tho sustenanco and living activity Of.
those microscopic calls.
Many mystory Of life will doubtless be un-
folded to us II our opticians during the next
twonty-iEe years should manass to ra1se the.
power OF the microscope in the same proportion.
80 IN the previous quarter OF century, in which
1t has been at least quadrup1ed. The best
microscope Of scliek and Plossl, IN 1916. did not
magnify more than 500 diamete1s the Sim
1neraion-lens xy." Of Hattnack over Z, 600 diam~
eterB- Still DR.. Cohn does not venture to hope
that during the next twenty-five years all tha
questions of science, which arc at present being
agitated, will be solved As ono vol after an
other is lifted, we find ourselves bohind still.
thicker one, which conceals from our longing,
eyes the mysterious goddess Of whom ne aro ia
search.
Dr. Cohn, in concluding his eloquent address,,
attempts to point out tho characteristics which
distinguish the present from tho past geneya-
tha hon. In tao toser epoch students confined
of divisions OF Nature, without nny regard to
the neighboring and closely allied regions which
must necessarily lead to the one-sidad vie:H
that these divisions belong to Nature herself.''
the several physical sciences have entered into
the closest organic union. Physics and.
chemistry, along with mathematical aa-
ir2o itroaony and nd geology haye been blended
ment Of the world; paheontology, systematio
botany, and zoology, have heen Joined into an
united science Of organisms !; physiology Of:
plants and OF animals have become confessed in
organic and inorganic aspects OF Nature is being
ever more and more obliterated, and out OF the
several sciences single, Uniform, UNIVERSAL
natural science is being constructed.
Bus the deeper natural science penatratesi
from outward phenomena to universal laws, tha
more she lays aside 1aer former fear to test tbs
latest fundamental questions of being aud be-
coming (Sein und Ierden), Of space and time;
of matter aud forco, Of life and spirit, by tina;
scale Of the inductiye method, and he mora:
confidently she lifts her views concerning the
universe out Of the cloudy atmosphere Of
hypothesis into the clear ether Of theory grounded
on fact, 80 much the more will the gap be MR.
rowed which since Kant has separated science
from philosophy. schi1ler's advice to philoso-.
pherB and men Of science
Feindschsft sci zvschen euch noch ist d2s Bund<
- Miss zu fruha,
saF Tss Wssls.i + s saeh .Fsnn damn ~a ~
has been followed for more than half century3
to the gain Of tho natural aciences, but often ta
the injury Of philosophy, which would knock
away the firm ground from under our feet. Bef
since Herbart and schopenhauer, and especially
through Hartmann's laborB, have the TWO chief
drifts Of the work Of tho human mind
been approaching; aud il natural science ba4
q mission to mold tho future OF cur raeet
she must court tue purifying influence OF philo-;
COINS estimation, the science Of the futura
cannot reject. Its Importance rests not merely in
the much interesting and useful information;
which can be made available to trade md indus-
try, for daily economy and universal ciyilza-:
ton; she muat build cure foundation for
our collective view OF the uniyereo, for our
knowledge Of ultimate and highest thinge-
It must be no longer the case that
even our most educated claases in consequence
Of insufficient education, have neither interest
nor intelligence for tho pursuit and acquisitioa
Of scientific knowledge. Moreover. science wilT
be no more nblo to shun battle with other syE-'
TENS Of the universe which have been halloWe1
Socrates and Aristotle. Copernicus and Calico
Victory will lie on the 6ido OF truth.
But il anxious souls should fear that, with
he advance Of scientific knowledge OF tho uni1
lp Of political and social order, let them DO as
ured by the teaching OF history. When we per-
eive the hssh OF an electric spark, We certainly
10 not take it for bolt darted BY the royengo-
olved into mir md Light, so also must tha'
olympus be shattered which IVES built thereon
3ut tho ideas of the truo, tho beautiful. aud tha
:ood, remain unshakcn; they have been all
he more firmly established, for they bars
rom tho mind OF man himself And that ths
ursuit Of natural scionce does not lead to ma
erialism, md in no way injures the ideal mnd.s
youchcd for BY the case OF Alexander voo>
humboldt himself, who, cvon in extreme old.
Sc, kept up llis love for research and power Of
Ior1s, well as his lively susceptibility for, and
nergetic share in, I'll the noble pursuits OF
1ankind.
DR.. Cohn concludes his lecture, SO brimfnl Of
rne elo1uence founded on sober fact, with q
Ugh compliment to the many worthy qualities
the President Of the 8ileslhn Society, Dr..
'oeppert. Such man as he ID said 70 be, tha
,ctureE truly says. may hope. III, Ike Goethe,
lantain, to ths utmost limit Of existence, life,
cart, and spirit full OF the freshness OF youth,