San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-10-15
The SECRET LANGUAGE OF Ma
TURE.

"She Speaks a Varied Language"
But DimIy Understood.
DR.. Herman Sachse.
In the days when prisoners were
entom bed in castle dungeons, and
were not permitted to have any CONS
munication with human beings. they,
nevertheless, managed to convey
their thoughts to each other. An In
ventive genius succeeded in making
his fellow-prisonsrs und erstood sig.
nal alphabet; one tap on the cell wall
signitying q, two taps b, and so on.
With this discovery q new world
was opened to the unfortunate pris-
oners.
In exactly the same way nature has
spoken, but for thousands of years
she was not understood. She uses
as q means of communication series
of strokes or impulses; for every ims
preston made on our senses by exter-
nal objects is, as modern physical
science demonstrates, nothing but the
result of agitstions differing in rapid
ity. Sound and light. the two chief
bearers OF knowledge, are simply
wave movements.
When we communicate our
thoughts by spoken language, we
employ the same means that these
prisoners used; for spoken langua ge
is the succession of certain impulses,
communicated to the ear, the signiti-
canoe of which depends upon a con-
ventionsl agreement.
These impulses are not always in
terpreted, for 1t is rarely that spoken
language conveys exactly what 1t
was intended to express. Two persons
never think precisely the same thing
when q sentence is uttered. Certain
signs are wanting to express the finer
characteristics of thoughts.
Animals, too, have their signal
language. In addition to sounds,
they use movements OF the various
parts OF the body. To greater degree
man uses gestures and facial expires.
sions. The language of the eye is
often more eloquent than that of the
tongue; and what we hesitate to say
we often, against our will, express
by our bushes. A carefully guarded
secret is often revealed by red light
wave which strikes the eye with 3
rapidity of 470, 900, 0O0, 900 times Sc
cond.
Illuminated nature, too, speaks to
man in various tongues. Not only
the war OF the storm. but everything
the eye sees signifies the conveyance
of intelligence to our consciousness.
Spring announces its coming by $780,
O00, 900, 900 agitstions of the green
light wave; this is the time to which
the music of Springs entrance march
has been Get.
Since we have learned to under
stand the language of the light wave,
through spectral analysis, we have
knowledge of the defiant worlds.
Long ago the Fraenhofer lines told us
the secrets Of the sun, and the discov-
cries of Kirchoff and Bunsen enabled
us to understand them; and we are
told that the sun contains a large
mum oer of metals found on our globe,
and that these are changed by great
heat into vapor which surrounds the
sun as an atmosphere.
If we should ever undertake to
communicate with the inhabitants of
other planets, the means for the
transmission OF thought would have
Pts, Mars is the one most likely to be
inhabited by rational beings. 1t may
be possible, If they understand math-
emstlcal figures, to cOmmunica to
them, by waves of light. Possibly
they, as do the prisoners. would learn
an alphabet capable of conveying
thought from US to them.
Light moves at the rapidity of AZ
200 miles q second. and yet there are
beamsof light which started years and
centuries ago. When we see dim
star suddenly become q fiery sphere
and appear like a star of the first
magnitude this brings US the intelli-
gence of mighty revolution which
may have occurred hundreds of years
ago. If al observer on Sirius had a
telescope of sufficient power to see
the Occurances on the earth, he might
at this chance catch glimpse of the
destruction OF Jerusalem.
When we annihilate space by
means of the telephone and the tele.
graph, we must not think that we
EMPLOY any other means than the
common language of impulse; fo
electricity, too, as We know now for Q
certainty, consists of nothing else
than wave movements. This modern
way of communication is really the
transfer of agitation. The words o
Ben Aquibs, There is nothing new
under the sum-" is true here as else.
where.
While at Big Island, Va, last April,
was taken with very severe attack O.
I had - l.. 1sF