Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-27
FRIDAY MORNINGITES
Proceedings at the Clubs
Last Meeting.
A Discussion Of the Theories of
Sound.
Some Very Abstruse Subjects Dis
cussed in Detail.
The Wave Theory Argued by Mrs. DR..
Fay-Mrs. Huber Treats the
Matter in an Original
Way.


guests at its meeting this week. Japan,
Great Britain and all parts OF our own
country were represented.
The science and metaphysics COM
mittee presented most carefully pre-
pared papers, exciting much interest and
discussion.
Mrs. Cole opened the programme
with an illustrated article on "The An
atomy OF the Ear" She touched upon
the invisible ear, and then described all
it's intricate and complex anatomy.
With frequent references to her chart,
which was highly magnified, she made
very plain how passing vibrations Of
sound were caught, carried to the drum
and finally reached the sensitive nerves.
Mrs. DR.. Fay followed with "The
Wave Theory of Sound" Her paper
was most comprehensive and her de-
livery very fine. The present theory of
the evolution OF the human soul has
no better proof than that found
in history of this theory. In early
times the sounds of nature were inter.
voices of the gods; their music, express
rushes and rustling leaves, while thun-
der, hurricanes and the phenomena OF
electricity were indicative of displeasure
and anger.
Motion and rest were regarded as less
expressive of the thought of creation
than sound; hearing has therefore been
considered an open window through
which the higher powers commune with
the human soul.
The ancient philosophers held that
sound was transmitted as we'll as pro-
duced by some motion of the air. Their
ideas we're vague; even Aristotle's no.
tions were crude compared with the
accurate knowledge of today.
From the beginning of the Christian
era to Bacon's time Q600) the history of
acoustics shows but little progress. In
stead of series OF inductive truths, we
have series of explanations instead of
travelling gradually towards great dis
covery we take our stand upon acknowl-
edged truths, and connect these with
other truths. Instead of epochs of dis
covery we have solutions of problems.
Vitruvius, the great architect of C9s-
ar's time, said: ''Voice is breath, flow
ing and made sensible to the hearing
by striking the air."
In the second century Ptolemy en-
deavored to explain the differences of
the quality and sounds of notes in
music, but he does not seem to have had
any knowledge of the impulses by which
sound is produced.
While Aristotle and Vitruvius ad-
vanced the wave theory, Bacon rejected
it, and ascribed the transmission of sound
to certain spiritual species," the basis
of which is probably HALLS theory.
In Galileo's school in 1886 the vibra-
tions of pendulous body first attracted
attention. About this time many new
mathematical principles were discov-
cred, and the wave theory of the old
philosophers was mathematically dem
onstrated. Staucari showed the num-
ber of vibrations in a given note; Sau-
veur substantiated and added to
Staucari's experiments.
Newton, however, in 1857 first ex-
planned the real nature OF motions and
the mutual action of the parts of the
air through which sound is transmitted,
in his work called The Great Charter of
Modern Science.
Until the last twenty-five years the
wave theory has been toosmetaphysical
to be appreciated. 1t is now accepted
by the leading scientists OF the day.
After hasty consideration OF the sub
ject, we can appreciate the language OF
Plato: "Our faculties run out into in
finity, and return to us thence; all
things are in scale; and, begin where
we will, ascend and ascend. All things
are symbolical; and what we call re-
suits are beginnings"
The last paper, by Mrs. J. B. Huber,
was very original. Mrs. Huber has a
fund of dry wit and expresses herself
in vigorous and convincing style. Her
paper, Halls Theory of Sound, excited
much interest. Scientists have the
characteristics of creed makers in the
propagation of their theories. The
popular president of college is sure to
be jealous advocate of science-the
fad-of- the.day student recognizes bis
teachings as the deductions of absolute
truth. The mother, the scientist, the
theologian impress on the plastic mind
as facts what they themselves do not &C.
cept unreservedly. The Santa Claus oi
the mother is delightful-the devil ol
the theologian is terrible; but the terms
formulas and illustrations of the
scientist given in large doses by the
professor, the boy takes as he
would pill from his mothers
hand, anxious only to swallow it
The present age demands more Edisonl
and fewer theorists on air waves. Hat
the scientists of the ages done as Ed
ieon is doing, conform to the peculiar
laws OF the great forces of nature in thei
radiations aud conductions, there woul(
be fewer whispering galleries, church
echoes and more rescued seamen. Tit
simple statements of substantialisn
were held by Plato, Milton and Boyle
and in later years zealously defended
by DR.. Hall OF New York, who asserts
that the intangible and incorporeal vita
and mental organisms within each liv
ing creature solve every physiological
biological and psychological problem
He states that if the wave theory wer
disproved the corpuscular would be sub
l