The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-06-16

M Llmitatioas Clearly Set RsEtA I
8<tsati1e Journal.

NvaeAN KNOWLEDGE
fus Limisas,s.s Clearly sss HsssA y q
Setsstt1e Journal
In the wonderful advance of scies-
tifc knowledss during the las. hum
dred years we are likely TO overlook
the msny fundamental laws and pho
nomsna Of the natural and physical
world OF which we still remain IN ut
TT ignorance. The action and effects
Of the forces Of nature are constantly
becoming more and more familiar to
us. and it Ia on this line that most Of
our progress has been made; but Is to
the nature of the forces themselves we
are still ignorant The constitution
Of the matter has been a subject oi
dispute from the time Of Aristotle.
and it ID not too much to say that we
have no more absolute knowledge on
this point than had Aristotle himself
Starting from the superstition tina,
matter Is not continuous, but made OF
disconnected atoms or particles Of
definite size and weigh. a mos, beau
tiful theory has been evolved which
perfectly explains all the observed
chemical and physical phenomena;
bu. what chemist will venture 10
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 ligh, and heat is auoth.
er question which is even more diff
cult to answer Than the constitution of
matter. They are certainly imma.
terial, possessing neither weight nor
volume. The modern theory consid-
ers the as a force. or mode Of vibra-
tory motion in a hypothetical sub
stance called ether. Bit the Existence
OF the ether has never been proved;
and. in fact, If it does exist, it must
possess properties VARYING widely from
n forms Of matter with which We
are acquainted AN that can be said
is, thai, granting its existence, the
phenomena Of light and heat admit Of
a ready explanation. Electricity is
another substance concerning the nat
ure Of which we know absolutely moth.
ing. To the question. What is cleo.
iricity? there is but one answer: We
DO not know. We know what it vii,
do, and can nake it serve US in an in.
finite variety Of ways; but the mos
learned electrician is only in the same
position as that Of a little child
who can move the lever which
controls great engine bn
knows nothing Of its construction, OF
how tile motion is produced. Chemic-
al aft lity of.rs 4 multitude Of per.
picking questions which as yet no one
can answer. Why does the oxygen
OF water leave the hydrogen 10 which
it is joined, 10 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 i~nyariable' Why
does fourine combine so strongly with
every known element but one. while
nj rogen, 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
appreci bic difference between a mass
Of dead and living matter. It 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 i'm.
mense mammoth down to the micro
SCOPE bacterium or plant-spore, all
are possessed Of something We call
life. which, as long as it exists, pos
sesses the power Of reproducing
organisms similar to itself We can.
apparently. destroy this mysterious
principle. but We can not bring it
back; and it is not probable that. in
II present condition Of ex 'stence. We
shall eve 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.
electricity and chemical affinity really
ara. but he who succeeds in imparting
to the minutest quantity Of dead mat
ter the wonderful vital force will have
accomplished a greater and more
wonderful work than all who have
preceded him, and one which. as far
as VIC can see at present. is beyond the
range Of human possibility. -Popular
Science AeUs.