The times., 1899-01-01
A MEDIEVAL INVENTOR.
The Wonderful Scientific Accom-
piishnents of Leonardo da .inci.
5 (Fronr the Lend9n

(froni the sLendon Daily News)
The range md .rnoyusDsf his discoveries are
scientific laurels. FOR his MSS have only recently
been published and the truths which he OWNED.
but did not issue to the world had to be subse
qucntly iedscovered by others. His fame has
been obscured partly owing to the great range
OF his attainments for the world las another
writer ON this subject has said) remembers long
or him who travels farthest in single direction
than him who travels far in many directions -
But chiefly has Leonardo's scientific fame been
obscured by the accident which, for three cen
tures has buried hss researches. At his death
he hequeathed his MSS to his pupil francesca
Malzi. who took them back from Florence TO
Milan. There they were soon scattered. and no one
could decipher them. for Leonardo wrote back
wards from right to lett. II was supposed that
he used secret script, and for 300 years nobody
succeeded in reading it. When Napoleon invaded
Italy. he carried fourteen OF these folio volumes
to Paris. where they still remain. Others are in
England.
One volume. the so-called Codice htlantico
preserved at Milan, has been most closely stud
led From il that Leonardo was a pioneer
both in method and in actual discovery. He
founded himself on observation and experiment.
He OWNED the circulation Of the blood lie an
ticipated Copernicus in prOpounding the theory
Of the earth's movement; long before Keper and
Calico he demonstrated that the faint light we
see Il new moon is reflected from the earth
He declared that ''mction was the cause Of all
life" lie forcs;alled Llmarck's classification of
vertebrate and invertebratc lie takes his place.
in virtue OF his researches into rocks and fossils
with the masters OF modern science who have
proclaimed the continuity OF geological causes
In botany, in physics. in mechanics he made do
covcries Of equal originality. In applying his
scientific knowledge, he fOres.liled many modern
inventions. He had glimpses even Of the telc-
| phone. He is entitled NJ Mlintz shows ITO
a distinguished place among the iorerunncrs OF
Watt" lie was the first inventor Of screw pro-
| pulsion. He made paddie-wheels lie attacked
| the problem of aefie navigation. lie invented
| swimming belts. lie anticipated by many Years
| the invention OF the ohscuFa. lie WIS
| great alike as a civil and a military engineer.
| lie watercd the Lombard plain by the invention
Of slnces; lie one OF the first TO recommend
the use OF mines for the destruction of forts. and
he anticipated the inventions OF time in sug-
| gesting hreech-loading guns and mitrailleGses.
| Like IN. de Rougemont.' Leonardo had even
n dying-dre cf his own: but ''in view said he,
| ''Of the wickedness OF men. do not publish or
| dyulge the method have invented for remaining
| under water for they would make use of il In
order to commit murder at the bottom Of the SEA,
| by destroying vessels and causing them to sink.
together with those On board pioneer in so
| much else. was Leonardo also pioneer among the
| AlpsY Prof. Uzielli prOpounded the interesting
| theory some years ago that Leonardo ascendeI
| one OF the peaks OF Monte Rosa; but to this NJ
| Munt2 does not refer Another note: Leonardo
| ate no meat but lived entirely on vegetables
thus forestallng our modern veSeiarians by several
| centuries. He shrank neither from the highest
| speculations from the hunbest coRtrivanccs.
For centuries after his death the bursers Of Milan
minced meat for their sausages with machines in
vented by the painter OF Mona Lisa