Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-09-24
A False Scientist.

| ~ bU rum ~ htf Lf'yN't.
Yesterday SOW the following remark.
ably erroneous statement III one OF the
daily papers:
In Donnclly's pow novel the state.
ment is made that science Is changed all
over every twenty years or So. az that III
accepted truths to-day will be rejected IN
! 1911"
Now lot Ia examine this:
First. About 800 years ago Copernicu.
proved the only true systcm of the
| heavens-the revoluuon OF our system
| about the sun and the revolution OF the
earth on lis aka. Well. over nineteen
times twcnty years have since passed. snd
| no mathematician. 40 scientific man has
| ever thought 20 even question Its correct
ness with the possible very modern ozcep-
tion OF pr. Jasper. Science Immediately
| hailed COpernicus's proof rs the ono beau
| tiful solution that solved, for all time. the
movements Of the heavenly bodies. What
does Mr. Donnelly say TO this?
Second. Over 2s0 years ago Kcpler was
engaged seventeen years In proving these
| three brief statements: !. The planets
move in eclipses. with the sun in one focus.
2. he rallus-yector Of each planet sweeps
| over equal areas in equal times. 3. The
| squares Of the times Of the revolution II
| two planets are proportional to the cubes
If their distances from tho sur. These,
you see. are the unqucstioningly received
proofs that regulate tho paths, the motions,
and the distances Of planets. 1t Is needless
to gay thew have been n 10y forever -
equally - mathematics and science. Now.
after more than fourteen times twenty
years. If Mr.. Donnelly knows anything
about these beautiful truths does he not
rejoice equally with scientists in their
| discovery.
Third. About fourteen times twenty
years have elapsed since Calico said that
Jupiter has moons and that the sun has
spots upon it. VIII Mr. Donnsily say
whether or not either of these statements
has ever been questlonedf What does
Mr.. Donnelly think OF tho truth Of Cali
lcos laws Of falling bodies 2
Fourth. Would Sir. Donnelly BE- so i'm
prudent "a even to hint that Newton.
proof Of tho laws Of grav.tation made over
200 years ago 10 no proof?
Fifth. Perhaps Sir. Donnelly would say
that llarvey's great discovery of tho circu-
lation Of the blood Is a myth.
Sixth. since Lady Nontagu submitted 70
inOculation Mr.. Donnelly would probably
tell rs that smallpox has sped unbrdled
on its deadly course. Wha; say our physi-
clan>l
Seventh. The telegraph has been estab-
lishcd since 1874. Did science pronounce
1t nonsense after twenty years?
IL 1t possible that in twenty years or
so" science will call In the electrician. the
cable-car, the telephone. the photograph.
the typewriter, as sclf-cOnfessei failures :
L. wilisIf Mr.. Donnellv is rlgnt. IL sir.
Donnelly is right we know nothing of tie
heavenly bOdles-their motions. ecllpses.
or tran.its. If AIR. Donnelly Ia rigl. Kopler's
three laws are three gigantic taisehoods.
If Mr. DOnneily is rlgh' some of the plan
90 Hf sVafcTn ta 4.
moons. aud our sun may or may not have
spots upon its surface. II Mr.. Donneliy is
right Newton may have made q grand mis-
take in his conceptions OF gravitatlon, and
10 may be that there is danger of our
world falling to some other world. or Of
some other world falling TO ours. If Mr.
Donnclly is right our blood may BE- stag
nant III our veins and arteries. and our
heart-beats may be the delusiOns of TOO
credulous brain. II Sir. Donnolly is Tieht
doctors need scarrify the arms of no more
children. because smallpox may or
may not heed it. II Mr. Donnelly
is right passengers need board no more
railroad trains or steambOats. because we
NAV reasonably conclude that the steam
engine is Of no utility. and is tho mere fe-
ment OF an over.stralnel science. II Mr..
Donnelly IS night the electrician and the
cable-car are simply on trial. and likely
soon to be laid aside as the nmusamenis Of
Of an enthusiast. IL Mr.. Donnelly is right
Mr.. Smith need "halloo" TO Mr. Jones no
more. because Mr. Jones may or may not
answer. II Mr.. Donnelly is right Captain
Cunningham need breathe into the phono.
graph no more sweet sounds. as IL NAV or
may not give them back. If Mr.. Donnelly
is right our worthy public-school officers
need trouble themselves no moro about
typowrters as science may soon conclude
that 1t was mistaken in their conception,
and that their real value is nothing.
10 conclude. Mr. Donnelly NAV DO a
passable novelist. but he is no scientist.
O. y II