Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-09-16
UnrelfabtIity of the Seuses.

dt Is surprising, says a writer, how people
VIII dli1er In their opinions about apparently
very simple matters, as, for instance the tenn
pefatuTe: "What an awful hot day. says
Jones, w1ping the persptration from his brow.
so, says smith, calmly; why think it is
Things quietly, and has not heated up his syS-
TEN; the other has been taking violent exercise
or drinking stimulants. Or, sometimes the dlf-
states Of health OF the two individuals. In either
or any contingency OF the kind it is clearly dem
oDstrated that the senses are very untrust.
worthy, and that when we attempt to measure
neat the thermometer is tenfOld more re-
liable than the human body. Every reader
must have observed what diversity Of Opinions
always exist In society as to the state of the
weather. t'For Heavens sake shut the win
dow, or shall freeze to DEATH" said the lady
from Kentucky In the passenger car "For
meIcys sake, leave It open, or shall smother
SAID the lady from Michigan. "For humanity's
open until the lady from Kentucky freezes u
death, and then Shut 1t until the Michigan lady
s s to DEATH That verdict may have
been little severe, but 1t illustrates the ire
pressible conflict that always exists between
Independent sets OF sensatory nerves. Even In
the same individual do we find a like conflict OF
testimony. When the right hand is held In
warm water the other In cold, for few mo-
ments, and then both hands plunged into a
basin OF tepid water, the two hands will give
81 as onse s the scPtu
what the left hand dOeth. To the right the
fluid is cold; to the left it will feel warm though
IL Is really the same to both. The same dis
crepancy OF evidence is found to exist In ref
erence to the character OF sound, vision and
smell, as exists with reference TO the sense of
touch. Railway employers have found it essen
tlal 10 test the visual powers OF train men to
see whether they can readily discern the vari-
colored signals. small percentage OF men are
found to be afflicted with "color blindness"
ana are unable to distinguish certain colors at
distances That vary In different Individuals
The sense OF hearing varies In individuals, and
all the senses are more or less liable to varia-
LION according TO the health and organic struc-
ture OF the individual
The unreliability of the senses as an accurate
gauge OF any state or condition OF physics led
scientists long ago to discard that kind OF evil
dence wherever anything better could be OBJ
famed. The glass OF clear, sparkling water
mat TO eye, and taste and smell bears evidence
OF having been distilled from Heavens purest
reservoirs, Is detected In the chemists labora-
Tory 10 pc very magazine of disease and pesti-
fence. The air we breathe, the water we drink,
Ine 1000 we eat, all deceive the Senses and that
winch we often pronounce pure and healthful
contains the germs Of death. These facts do
not prove the inutiltty OF the senses with which
nature has endowed us. 1t Is rich and an in
olspenSlDle inheritance, but 1t teaches us the
important lesson that as we are also not per.
rect, and cannot be perfect, in our mental
powers, IL is lesson OF humanity, and teaches
us 10 De len1ent IN our judgment towards others
and quite suspicious OF conclusions based uDon
sensatory evidence ne.-[Cincinnati Sattr-
dau Night.