, 1876-03-18

! EXtrmt from \ lecture nal by D. y. G.
Folsmn before the SnoIuuisil Frer RvIig
iouH Association Sunday Aug 23. 1874.
Owing 'o the I vorahl" mann n which
! the puhlir rctivtd priur irCiurr from the
snthur oi lhi, une. and i,t conpliWc" with
'llr general with Of This romrnni,v wr ub.
nit the following, the s'ennn "u' Of This
series. /" our rr.nlrra 1hra. lrc,,tres were
'rsi gned rninly iir the yo,Eg. mil thuse
whn had given but aIinht attention. to ,'rs,
'uhir'ss. This onc was proIns,!s iIlustrNlrd
twiiK Black Board Exercises Wlpn read
! they wcrr not Designed for ruhIicaii'h; olE
readers will make suitable allow!iucc Tor
these thinga ,--Ep,l
This suhirct so naturally inllows tina, ot
last sabbath, tina, deem the prrsen, the
most fitting opportunity for is presentation,
Like every 9th r science it has developed
with wonderful rapidity during the last halt
century. II has aided materially in solv.
ing many doubts and other ohsruritics 10
many other sciences, BY It's adaption I"
the Telescope, it hns enabled the Astronomer
to push his inquiries concerning the grogta.
ply of many ofthc planets SO M to arrive
AT conclusions about their structure thut are
almost absolutely certain. Il has enabled
the hotarist, the chemist, the anatOniSt and
the mincrnlogist, to elevnte their respective
sciences to the dignity ot absolute fSelncss.
The Gcologist is indebted 10 IL for many
discoveries To the Naturalist il is more
than an eye or hand. Even the Physician
finds il At the present day IA essential as
his lancet or his viols. So well ia its use
understood by the scientific, that none
hardly ever attempt 10 persnc their research
es without It's aid It is found on the table
of every investigator. Y0n often find il
among paror ornaments. Scholars cannot
do without it /; tor investigation in certain
departments Of scieuce would end only in
theory Or CONNECTION, did not the microscope
step in and supply the needed evidence.
To the Greek and Roman philosophers
its value was not appreciated it known ~
them. They made very little use Of it at
any rate, and TOR that reason they often
theorzed falsely and made many errors and
mistakes In classification. It was not until
It was perfected, so Us to magnify objects
many thousand diameters, thht any of the
sciences, astronomy alone excepted, could
he regarded rs fixed. Previous to the
adoption of the microscope to scientific re-.
searches, many Of the sciences now regard
ed rs absolute and indisputahly certain were
but little more reliable than many Of the
myths of the anCicnts. Their avowed prin
ciples were based upon theory and conjunct
ure, and Of course liable to be exploded or
changed according to the whins ind capri
ces of The schools Of philosophy.
Although the microscope is regarded, com
paratively speaking, as modern invention
there is abundant cvidence.thatit wasnot un-
known to the most ancient nations that have
lett traces of their civilization. Indeed the
opinion Is now almost universal, among the
best informed in matters pertaining to pre-.
historic nations, that the uses of the micro,
scope must be regarded as a rcdisCovcry
or revival Ofone Of the ''lOst arts" Many
Of the pictures Of strange animals, found
upon the ruins Of ancient temples, are known
to be EacsimiltS Of animalcule brough. out and
enlarged py powerful lenses The Aryans
knew the use Of the magnetic needle and
the Telescope The latter instrument per-
fected to such degree, that thousands of
years before Egyptian civilization in the
valley Of the Nile they had astronomical
calculations and records whose correct
ness has been proved by four of the most
eminent astronomers OF modern times. SO
did the Chinese. In China to-day may be
found serpents, immense birds. hugo winged
dragons and representations Of monsters that
do not and never did exist In any other
form than animalcue and infusoris. A
careful comparison Of these engavings with
microscopic insects, leave no room to doubt
that they are really drawn from magniied
natural objects; for geology has not re.
vealed any terrestrial fossile remains that
bear any resemblance to these engravings
carved upon structures SO old that history
fails to give any account Of their builders
have myself seen in Central and South
America, aboriginal ruins ornamented in
similar manner, with resemblances of in
sect life, that often reminded me of magni-
fed animal life but never had the oppOr,
tunity Of proving conclusively, that they
really were copied from microscopic enlarg-
ments. II seems almost inconsistent with
reason, to believe that nations cOnld possibly
leave such marvellous evidences Of their power,
mechanical skill and of their Advancement in
the higher arts. without q knowledge OF
many appliances that we now look upon az
modern inventions. The evidence that the
old Aryans had knowledge Of the micro.