Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-02-05

Some philosopher, speaking Of man,
has said 1--WE have had fins; we may
have wings" Now supposing mot for
the sake Of any hypothesis l have, nor
to maintain any thesis, but merely for
the sake of suggestion) supposing that
mankind have nearly reached that point
of development in which wings are to
appear, what would be the progress?
First, certain abnormal individuals not
winged, but with anatomy and habits
approximating to the winged type would
appear. In the course of time their Off
spring, or other abnormalities, would
approach 1t still nearer These peculi-
arities being crescent, not decrescent,
and in certain ways advantageous, would
not vanish but be perpetuated. Inter
marriages would develop the type by
each parent transmitting to and uniting
in the offspring the features which he or
she severally possessed. Finally, the
winged type established in few individ-
uals, sexual union would gradually ex-
tend it, until there was o race of winged
man. With what rapidity this process
would 20 ON in men we cannot deter
mine until we are able to deter
mine the transmitting power of the
psychic forces over the inferior forces in
the human frame. If fright can kill, if
intense will can avert decay, the degree
of this force acting unconsciously and
continuously will not be easy to measure
nor to over estimate.
Nor must we lightly conclude that it
will be an impossible thing for the hu-
man arm to develop Into human wing
capable of fight in the air. Recent
investigations into the meohanicism of
fight have quite exploded the extrava-
giant conjectures of Borelli, Navier,
Babinet, ReAumur, and others in regard
to the enormous comparative superiority
of the muscular force of birds over that
of men. The Chevalier Chabrier, as
far back as 1923, establishes that the
elasticity of the muscle was as import
ant function in flight as its strength.
The researches of Jurine, of Strauss
Durckeim, of DeLucy, of Prachtli OF
Wagner, of Roster, and Of Marcy, have
established by myographic tests that
the static force of birds muscle does
not exceed that Of the muscles ct mani
malta. The strength of the extensor
muscles is not exerted further than to
maintain the wing in the position
for fight; the wing is drawn
into motion by the great pectoral
muscles of the bird, which weigh one
sixth of the total weight of the bird.
Mareys experiments, made with the
greatest care, showed that, in proportion
to their diameter and volume, the pee
toral muscles Of the bird were not
stronger than those Of men. Given,
therefore, a proportionate elongation
and strengthening Of a mans arm,
proportiOnate developments and eorrooo,
ration Of the thoracic machinery, and
What is to prevent a man from lying
Hastings has already formulated the re-
lation between the surface Of wings and
the weight Of body 10 be supported and
Hureau de Nilleneuve has estimated that
A bat the size and weight OF a man
would be enabled to fly with wings less
than three meters in length.
The Catholic Directory for 1873 con
tains interesting statistics in reference
10 the Roman Catholics IN Great BRIT
ain. In the peeragn thers are thirty
four Roman Catholics, Of whom twenty
four are In the House Of Lords In The
House Of Commons there are thirty
seven Catholic members. Foriy-nine
baronets are Catholics. In Great Brit
AN The Hierarchy comprises one arch
bishop and sixteen saffragan bishops m
England and Wales; one archbishop and
two bishops or Wears apostolic in Scot
land. where the dioceses are siin called