The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-29
BLENDED LIGHT.
The Newtonian Law of Gravitation
Assailed.
TYNDALL IMPUGNED.
All Natural Forces Referred 10 Light and
Magnetism.
STARTLING DEDUCTIONS.
TYNDALL IMPUGNED.
STARTLING DEDUCTIONS.
Further Examples OF General
Pleasonton's Discoveries.

Ploasonton with blended light upon plants, animals
and persons afflicted with various disorders In that
article attention drawn the fact that Ponxa's
psrments, which have lately created much STIR had
Of tho unatc asylum In Philadepnm bearing bis
Il would be worth knowing whether, and how far.
Padre secchi may be indebted tho Philadelphia for
The ideas which induced him suggest the treatment
Or lunatics py light to DR.. Ponza Turin.
IL may be interesting the readers OF the HERALD to
know that 1871 General Pleasonton published brief
monograph Of twentyour pages. giving account OF
The various experiments made by him with blended
light mp 10 that time upon plants and animals This
monograph was subsequently, communicated to the
Academic des Sciences at Paris, and the writer
account Of the manner in which 1t received by that
body in tho complies rendus OF the society.
II IL not improbable that the monograph OF General
Picasonton may have found its way Italy, for the
writer has proof that did actually reach much more
unlikely region well known physician brought TO
Philadelphia copy Of French pamphlet which he
said had attracted much attention in Brazil 1t turned
out 10 be literal translation General Pleasontons
own monograph to which the translator with charac-
teristic mocesty and honesty, had attached his own
name utterly ignoring both tho experimentcr and tho
writer, and leaving the reader under the impression
that the experiments had conducted by himself In
Paris This special form talent is among u.s. termed
smartness the French euphemsicaly cnil It adrese
fnesss 1t reasonable assume that paper deemed
sufficiently important to deserve the notice Of the
demie des Sciences did actually reach Italy, and It
would be- before stated, highly interesting know
whether the great astronomer Scccni acquainted
with It's contents previous 10 his suggestion Ponza
Tho HERALD has to deal with General Plcason-
toms theories Not in the way OF criticism for that
they will undoubtedly receive from Others but purely
in the way Of exposition. These theories may In a
scientific point OF view, DO termed revolutionary
They are directly connected with the experiments pre-
viously enumerated In tho HERALD, inasmuch they
evolved in General Plcasonton's endcavors to
account for phenomena which he claimed could be ex
planned by mono CT tho received theories OF modern
science. They arc far-reaching, embracing all
Tho forces and phenomena known TO cosmic
science. In many respects they are very startling
stepping they do into that hozonless region where
the line between material and moral forces lost
Fortunately for the scientific investigator and the
Deep original thinker the present age although sub
stantally conservative, Is still open conviction
Men like Darwin Mill, Huxley, Tyndal. Strauss and
Renan need but the OF their convictions TO
orco the world to hear them. The ominous crash OF
basclcss systems topping down aghts their advocates
and for q time war Is waged against the ruthless
lconoclasts who have dashed them to pieces. Butte
day do not alive for Disturbing our par
hcular doxy nor do we socially ostracxe thcm So
the bold, original thinker has fair chance aud the
unsupported system theory short shrif This re-
suit has been mainly brought about by the wondrous
strides OF modern scenccstrdes swim and gigantic
that they have UNNECESSARILY outstripped the highest
and most daring flights OF the human imagination Tho
men who treated Stephenson unasic may still be
numbered by the hundred. Morse who annihilatsd
t,vrn crd To ,ur ~olI In hyc ~
OF Daguerrc, who welded the unerring finger Of light
every possible phase of reproductive art is st re-
nembered in France The list is long OF those lustri-
Gus men whose theories were Mt nrst received with
Bcornful dcrson but who rank as the prime benc-
factors OF humanity. The child of to-day grows up
familiar with inventions which their nrst announce
anrghted the world out OF its propricty. II is
from the flint and steel Of antagonisic theories that
The spark OF truth elected Thus however novel and
revolutionary theory may appear At first sight, still
to-day II Is pretty OF hearing So General Pleas
onton comes before tho world with theories which
have at least tho merit OF striking originality, but
which hardly startling than tho facts which
have led him TO adopt them.
LIGHT IS MArrKR.
The first conclusion adopted by General Plsasonton Is
that light matter The vast interval between this
planet and tho must be filed with material
mc0lum-ctucT OF Whatever IL may 90 Called Light
passing through this with velocity OF ls6 900 miles
per second must everywhere produce enormous fric.
lion Friction produces electricity II 10 this electric
isy and It's corrclative magnetism discovered by
Oersted TO be Its accompaniment when oppo-
site electrical poaritcs are untsd) which form those
tremendous forces Of nature that produce In ON and
about planet those changes which meet US at
turn. When the Creator amer having assc.nbled in
their respective positions the materials which compose
the planetary and stellar WORLDS uttered the words
'[et thorc be light He called into being power
which became the generator Of all the physical forces
which control and regulate the world
Tho radiant reflection from every part OF the photo
sphere Of that great Iumnary the sun (which in liz
magnitude was intended 10 illumne and vitalixc all
animated matter well as 70 give form and con.
sistency whatever had been created) passing from
every point thereof with velocity Of 1856 600 miles
per second penetrating through planetary and stellar
spaces whose ether, however subtle and attenuatcd
must have offered resistance to tho passage or
this material light producing with II everywhere In
10 passage amount OF friction and with II
electricity and magnetism ELECTRICITY by the juno
Non OF It's opposite polarics evolves heat and also i'm
parss to all substances that capable or beng In
vested with Il magnetism. The sun, the planets, the
Stars and all the bodies that stud the expansc heaven
ire doubtless all magnets, 10 which magnetism was
impaired when tho Creator uttered In heaven the
words without parallel IN subIimty :-"Let light be
made" This then, Is the origin OF all tho physical
forces Of tho universe.
HEAT DUE MAGNETISM.
Thus far General Peasonton on the general subject
Of light In connection with light lie considers heat
generated by H. and contends thai terrestrial heat can
not DO directly derived from the He argues that
the tendency OF heat II always ascend into
the atmosphere when Il 10 derived from combustion
the surface OF the earth, from radiation within
H. The namc Of candle " vertically upward on
every part Of the earth surface when the still
Tbs effort Of heat Is 10 depart necessarily from us
source with rapidty proportonne the intensity OF
the combustion Tho force by which Is Is effected
rcpelisnt one; at the same time from It's being nsso
cated with positive electricity Il 10 attracted 10 the
upper atmosphere By It's negative electricity. always
associated with cold, which 10 opposed 10 positive
electricity. The diffusion OF heat literally down
wards very uncomfortable, AZ Is constantly man.
,festcd rooms whcrn the fire In tho crate efnls
very little heat below the bottom OF the crate and parts
OF the room distant from tho Gre very inpcricctly
heated by IT. Tho sun, In ~ daily course being above
the earth. II u had any caioric rays could not send
them the earth below n through space OF ~ 000 900
miles which, according TO calculations Pou,let has
ture I42 al