The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-28

gas, carbonic oxide and hydrogen. These sixt the
two Frenchmen conquered, and by cold and pres
sure brought within the the range of molecular
cohesion"
The review of the subject to which you re-
fer in the Popular Science, for December, would
seem to indicate that hydrogen is not much
like a liquid metal as it is like a coal oil
1.-The fact is that just as there is no we'll de-
fined difference between the lower plants and
the lower animals or between metals and non
metals, so the old distinctions as to the three
states of matter-solid. liquid and gas not
absolute, and that physicists will be compelled
to recognize fourth stage of matter the gaso-
liquid state. The tendency of science is to
break down definitions everything goes by
gradatiOns Norman Lockyer has put forth the
hypothesis that there is but one form of matter,
and that is hydrogen, and the sixty or seventy
elements of the chemist are only physical mod
ifcations of it. In the same way of belief, but
one force is recognized in nature, of which vi
tally, chemism, heat, light, electricity, mag
netism, etc. are but modes of action. But
these great generalizations are too tran
scendental-in fact they often transcend
the senses and the reason of man, and change
their votaries and adherents into cranks and
chimera hunters. The people are now excited
about animal magnetism and psychic force
A few doctors and newspaper men who never
studied physics and mechanics and who always
get hold of the wrong end of the lever, are in
ylted, for example, to see a Lulu Hurst seanoe.
They are knocked off their Intellectual pins for
ehO IiiuO OoCduS6 tl6y see d SGrOIS, luuoCulttl
girl who is an expert in physical juggleries,
push couple of men about who are pulling in
opposite directions on a billiard cue an UNI
brella. They lay their heads together and one
whispers, that at the recent meeting of the Brit
| ish Association at Montreal committee was APP
pointed to investigate the so-caled psychic force
and as they cannot at once explain what they
see, they conclude there is something in it.
That is the easy way out. 1t saves thinking
and investigation, and that is what the shrewd
Snowman wants. l tell you, our young doctors
had better let psychics and metaphysics alone
and study physic and natural philosophy.
There may be more things in heaven and
earth than dreamt of in our philosophy"
| young man, said the loose jawed old alembic,
drawing near the reporter, but don't you take
| too much stock in Krao, in the nine-days'
! Georgia wonder, or in psychic force or il the
absolute zero, or in the metallic nature of hydro
gen, or the correlation of the chemical elements,
or of vitality with the chemical and physical
! forces. Common sense is after all. good deal
better than uncommon. sense, and the people
you hunt up items for, and bits of news for the
Sunday paper, don't care half as much about the
liquefaction of the elementary gases as they do
about Cleopatra OF the apple crop in Posey
county,
! But good bye young man. was just about
to draft a bill memorahzing Congress to sup
press the publication of the Popular Science
Monthly. There is too much of froth in the
chemical cauldron"