New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-22

College. Revised edition. Enlarged. PIP X, 4O'.
MANS PLACE n NATTRE And 0hs se Ante cc
iectcd Essays. Volume VlI) PIP. Kill S2S D.
Appleton & Co
'N f. = HatcS hin o'B j. T. g $ Win "
merous illustrations by J. Smit and others. IN
xiv. go. D. Appleton & Co.
BIOLOGICAL LECTURES AMI. ADDRESSES.
peyersd By The late ArshuE Mines HG;,so H IA
Mr A H. p R D. b. s. n Sc + r. f1''s s. Pp viii
sS Macmillan & Co.
THE PSYCHIC FACTOR: An Outline Of f f{
, j. Ts,e president Of Eimira College. PIP VII.
223. D. Appleton & Co.
In Mr. Hutchinson's new book. which is very
much like his former work, Extinct Monsters
there is a paragraph that refers to an incident
in the history OF science in NewYork. Abiding
to the models Of hadrosaurus and dryptosaurus
and other fossils made by Waterhouse Hawkins
some years ago. the author expresses sorrow TO
learn that these constructions have since been
destroyed and ANONYMOUSLY cast into the lake
and adds: Incredible it may seem. we are
informed that this wanton piece Of destruction
was wrought at the bidding Of a certain Mayor
OF New-York who. unfortunately FOR the cause
OF science considered that the results arrived at
by biologists did not harmonic with revealed re-
lgion." There elements a humor IN THESE
lines. It is true that models made by Mr. Haw-
kinS were destroyed HOW serious d UlO" ~ SN'0
ence the loss Of them is a question for ex-
perts But the iconoclast was not Mayor or
New-York Memory fails to recall the name OF q
single Chief Executive OF this city who would
have cared TO pose as a defender OF Genesis
against the attacks of modern naturaists In
deed it is doubtful II the Scriptures figured So
riously in the dispute over these models Tney
were broken up, we believe. at the instance OF
gentleman who won his fame as an amateur IN
science by having the skeleton Of the great right
whale now in the Museum of Natural History
made presentable with coat of whitewash
Though the books cited at the head Of this ar
ticle are Of various degrees OF merit together
they give a fairly complete view of the progress
OF the universe from motonless ether to the
multiplicity Of the present world. Professor
Dolbear is an efficient defender of the theory
which supposes matter to be merely the result
ant of motion, infinitely rapid. of vortex rings
In the ether which fills space He illustrates
the possibility OF these vortex rings W
the peculiarities Of those which are formed in
air by the pufs from locomotive or from the
lips Of a cigar smoker. While these are called
smoke rings, they really rings Of air In which
the smoke is whirled This makes them visible,
but similar rings are doubtless formed in the
viewless air continually. Intangible as these
rings are. they have the attributes of independ-
snt bodies. The particles Of smoke show that
besides their more less direct motion upward,
they have also a whirling motion around the
circular axis Of the ring. AS long as this inter-
nal movement continues, the rings retain their
shape. II they impnge on each other. they be-
tray elasticity. They may change their shape in
currents of air. and If their internal motion is
strong enough. may recover the original circular
form. According to the hypothesis. the vortex
rings in ether are nconcevably small. They
-
all bodies, whether organic or inorganic. Con
sequently 1t is they crowdng upon each other
which give TO matter its dimensions. shape. dem
sity, and all the rest OF those attributes which
seem 10 make 1t an ultimate fact In science and
philosophy. OF all this is conjecture.
But 1t meets better than smost all other
lectures the facts of observation. The trouble
with the theory is that 1t seems TO eliminate
mind a from the universe Professor
Dolbear argues very forcibly that a conscious
ness apart from the world. and working in IL or
upon it. cannot be inferred from the data OF the
human mind. If every physical process in the
world were suddenly stopped it would mean
that all motion had ceased. There would then
be neither day nor night, because the earth no
longer turned on its axis. Light would cease. for
it is wave motion; heat. because ii is a VI
bratory motion; chemical change, because It is
due 10 heat There would be neither solid nor
liquid nor gas. for each depends upon. conditions
OF temperature, that is Of heat which is as
sumed TO be absent; there would be no sight for
that implies wave motions: nor sound for that
Implies air waves nor taste, for that implies
chemical action; nor smell for like reason; nor
I touch. for that implies pressure-the result Of
notion. The heart would cease TO beat the
blood 10 flow, and consciousness would be
topped Every one of the senses would be OBJ
sterated or annihilated nothing would happen
because there would be no change anywhere"
The tiny movements that constitute matter
would fall apart in quiescence, and space which
seems to b. overrun with worlds would instant
ly become void The chain appears 10 be COM
plete. Unless one is ready to assert however,
that the infnitesimal movements which make
all other motion possible originate themselves.
there is soyething back OF all conditions of fem
perature whose existence must be accounted for
But that Is metaphysical problem. Following
the line u thought proposed by Professor Dol
Dear IL must be seen that human consciousness.
an effect dependent on so many interacing
causes cannot be used to prove mind in the uni
verse But supposing that the human mind can
exist Independently Of the body in the form Of a
spirit then some curious results follow 1t must
be remembered that the earth turns on It's axis
at rate which would oblige the disembodied
soul OF person who died at the equator to
travel at the rate Of thousand miles an hour
to keep the company Of the corpse In addition
to that. the earth Is constantly shifting position
In its orbit round the sun at a speed Of nearly !
10000 miles an hour Worse still II is accom- |
panying the whole planetary system in a mystic |
journey and is traversing constantly new depths
OF space at the rate OF 125 900 miles an hour The
disembodied spirit is supposed to be relieved from
all the chains Of matter which include gravity /
and inertia. These would help it to stay on |
earth. or to come back II 1t flew away. But as
they do not exist for II. 1t must exert some force
OF Its own that will enable II to travel at least
$4,000 miles an hour. and then 1t will simply be