St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-09
HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
ITS Limitations Clearly Set Forth Inv a
Scientific journal

| Scientific journal.
In the wonderful advance of scien
tific knowledge during the last hun
dred years, we are likely to overlook
the many fundamental laws and phe.
nomena of the natural and phvsica
world of which we still remain in Mt.
| ter ignorance. The action and effects
of the forces of nature are constantly
becoming more and more familiar tc
US, and it is on this line that most OF
our progress has been made; but as to
the nature of the forces themselves we
are still ignorant. The constitution
of the matter has been subject OF
dispute from the time of Aristotle.
and it is not too much to say that we
have no more absolute knowledge on
this point than had Aristotle himself.
Starting from the supposition that
matter is not continuous, but made of
disconnected atoms or particles Of
definite size and weight, most beau
tiful theory has been evolved which
perfectly explains all the observed
chemical and physical phenomena;
but what chemist will venture to
maintain the atomic theory as an
actual and provable fact, in the
face of the many difficulties which
such a conception of matter involves?
The nature of light and heat is anoth-
er question which is even more diff
cult to answer than the constitution of
matter, They are certainly imma-
teria, possessing neither weight nor
volume. The modern theory consid-
ers them as force, or mode of vibra-
tory motion in a Hypothetical SUBJ
stance called ether. Bat the existence
of the ether has never been proved;
and, in fact, if it does exist, it must
possess properties varying widely from
any forms of matter with which we
are acquainted. All that can be said
is, that, granting its existence, the
phenomena of light and heat admit of
ready explanation. Electricity is
another substance concerning the nat
ure of which we know absolutely moth
ing. To the question, What is cleo
tricity? there is but one answer: We
do not know. We know what it will
do. and can make it serve us in an in.
finite variety of ways; but the most
learned ele crican is only in the same
position as that of II little child
who can move the lever which
controls great engine, but
knows nothing of its construction, or
how the motion is produced. Chemic-
al affinity offers a multitude of per-
picking questions which as yet no one
can answer. Why does the oxygen
of water leave the hydrogen to which
it is joined to unite with the sodium
which is brought in contact with it?
Why are the proportions in which the
different elements unite among them
selves fixed and invariable? Why
does fiourine combine so strongly with
every known element but one, while
nitrogen, when forced into combina-
ton, confers an element of weakness
upon the entire compound? No one
has yet answered these and innumer-
able similar questions. But the great.
est mystery of all, and one of which
we know the least, is that of the nat
ure of life and mind. There is no
appreciable difference between a mass
of dead and living matter. 1t is only
in the possibilities inherent in the
two forms that we can recognize the
difference. An animal grows and so
does a crystal; but no one would
be likely to mistake one process OF
growth for the other. From the inn
mense mammoth down to the micro
scopic bacterium or plant-spore. all
are possessed of something we call
life. which, as long as it exists, pos
sesses the power of reproducing
similar to itself We can.
destroy this mysterious
principle. but we can not bring it
back; and it is not probable that, in
our present condition of existence. we
shall ever know any thing regarding |
it. Some patient student OF nature
may be able in future years to give us
absolute proof of what matter, light,
and chemical affinity really
are, but he who succeeds in imparting
to the minutest quantity of dead mat
ter the wonderful vital force will have
accomplished greater and more
wonderful work than all who have
preceded him, and one which, as far
as we can see at present, is beyond the
range of human possibility. -PopuIar
Science Aes0s.