Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-10-09
Popular Tallaoios.

Inc age OF war anu cOnNlcC Is I3SI
passing away, and the industrial and
commercial age is taking its place.
Progress is the worlds watchwo, d
to-day; and it is the boast Of the nine
tcenth century that, since its birth,
the march Of discovery and invention,
in all the sciences and arts most con-
ducive to mans comfort and civiliza-
ton, has been greater than any pre-
ccding half thousand years. Science
is now the measure of 4 nations stand.
ing; for general scientific knowledge
means education, which means refine.
mcnt and religion, which means death
to superstition. And in this country
especially, where education and true
religion are so generally diffuscd,
science seems to have a stronghold
upon the respect and admiration of
all but the most ignorant and back
ward minds.
In view then Of this general diff
sion Of scientific knowledge, which,
in this country, though not in itself
astonishing, is yet great when COM
pared with that III most other lands,
it does seem remarkable oft-timcs
that SO many old and long-cxploded
fallacics should still find crcdcncc
among the majority of the people,
and even among the well-cducatcd.
1t is fairly astonishing to acc what
outragcously-absurd stories will cir
culate through the popular press, Of
ten published in the fullest good
faith, and accepted as true by simple.
minded readers. The scientific hoax
cs perpctratcd in the United States
are almost innumcrablc; and that
they continue to be published, re-pub-
lished, revampcd, and, strangest Of
all believed, and solcmnly discussed
in journals that ought to know better
does not ,k we'll for the thorough
ness Of this scientific knowledge, on
whi III diffusion We SO often pride
ourselves.
We remember recent example in
the story lately published in Cali
fornia paper (these hoaxes generally
cmanate from the fertile West), con-
cerning q magnetic cave, said to have
been just discovered, possessing such
powerful attraction that hatchets were
drawn from the hands Of the explor-
crs and flew to the roof and remain
ed glued there; while unfortunatcs in
hobnailed shoes had to leave their
foot cncasemcnts behind them. This
story, though laughed at by one-half
the community, was received with
open eyes and gaping mouths by the
other half, who could not comprc-
hcnd that the size of the attracted
body might have something to do
with the force of attraction.
But it is not merely of these ingcn-
ious hoaxcs that we wish to speak,
but of a far more injurious state Of
ignorance among the common peo-
pie. We refer to popular fallaciss
concerning the sciences'of everyday
life, and to the general ignorance
about the great forces of nature, and
the first principles of science in all
its departments. Some of these fal-
lacies are simply ludicrous; others
are worse. What absurd blundese
are made in matters of hygicne! The
prosperity Of quack doctors who have
medicines, each one of which will
cure all the ills that nan is heir to, is
forciblc example of the latter case,
"By looking into looking-glass
inclined At forty-fve degrees, Mr..
, of Northampton, obtained
last night fine view of Jupiter's sat-
elites says certain Springfield pa-
per. How Prof. Smell, of Amherst
must have chucklcd to read it! Mr..
-'s wonderful glass would have
conferred satellites upon every star
in heaven. He should have known
that plain looking-glass has no teles.
copic power, and that his Satellite"
were only repeated reflections be.
tween the quicksilver and the front
surface Of the glass, Of the planet he
was gazing ut.
"Mrs. was recently saved
from death by lightning stroke by
her son, who dashed pailful Of cold
water upon her. 1t is supposed that
the water carried off the Gle ;tricity
remaining in her body, and saved
her!" Such is the Boston JOurnd's
lucid explanation of q simple cure
The poor lady, almost killed BY the
torriblc stroke, was saved by the sud
den nervous shock caused by the cold
water which her son with such pres
cncc of mind threw at her. It is not
the presence Of electricity in hu