The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-07

MAN PRODUCT OF THE APES
Discourse Delivered to Class in
Medical Jurisprudence At
tracing Wide Attention.


| ,l'he recent lecture Of DR. w. H. Taylor.
professor OF chemistry, toxtcol Joey ana
medical Jurisprudence at the Medical
College of Virginia, III which the doctor
discussed before his class in medical
jurisprudence the subject Of Science and
tho Soul" has attracted wide attention.
This discourse was Introductory to a
series on ''rrle Ocult. 1t was altogether
a class lecture, not intended for the pub
lie. No one outside Of this particular
class was invited to It, not even the
other students Of the college.
At the outset Dr.. Taylor said: "Of
the several manifestations OF the many
sided occutism of modern times,
the one that we can most acknowledgement
consider Is spiritunlism-not only on Its
own account but because Of the close re-
lation Which many forms of Gsuperstition,
mysticism and pseudo science have to It,.
It's primary and necessary proposition
Is that man possesses an ilnmaterial prin-
clplc which is capable Of activity exist
ing in G. state separate from his material
body, which principle Is what is common
ly understood rs the soul. If this propo.
sition is true, 1t Is not impossible that
living men may get into communication
gestion Of such communication carries Its
absurdity on its face, and a great mass
Of parasite supersttions will be swept
AWAY" III , t s
He went on to say that familiarity with
the dead created an impression of
materlality5 of soul as well as body, but
that impressions were the most unsafe
of all means OF attaining scientific truth
and suggested that if imaterialists. would
take the higher view which might he at
forded by religion, perhaps thoy would
be converted into "idealists or spiritual
ists.'> Scientists, however, vera snecessar-
lily restricted to physical methods. and
he Went on to ask what could be learned
by use Of the scalpel, microscope, test
tube and other scientific Implements
Starting with the humblest living cell,
he traced it's development onward and
upward to man.. In doing. this he gave
the reasons why BIOLOGISTS of the present
day claim that mans is lineally descended
from the apes. He next considered tho,
development of man himself from a
minute cell and pointed out It's course
through childhood into adult age, showing
that all along consciousness, and what
ever Of the soul is akin to consciousness,
is parallel with the development of the
brain. This was empowered by reference
to numerous well known and admitted
facts connected with the functions OF the
body and of the brain especially.
ORIGIN OF, LIFE.
He next took up the subject Of the
material origin Of life itself. This was
deliberately set forth,3and on the strength
| OF the fact that the body is pre-eminently
a chemical laboratory, he considered that
! the question could be fairly answered by
assigning the origin to chemical action.
Going still further, using various illustra-.
tons drawn from inorganic ma ture, he
people to conjecture that life in somevague
us to conjecture that life in some vague
form might obscurely hide in matter
which, in our ignorance of its nature,
we are wont to stigmatize as dead. In
| concluding this branch of his theme, lie
| spoke of the pioneers Of science Of this
| time who are urging people to take
| a further step onward--a final, a
l5portentous step--which will place people
| where matter and electricity are one,
and asked, Shall they take it? TO this
| question lie did not feel competent to
reply.
DIR. Taylor's lecture was an address of
| a medical man to other medical men, and
| taking Il strictly scientific view Of tho
relation OF the soul as far as it can be
considered as allied to consciousness 10
! physical and chemical changes going on
| in the brain. lie carefully avoided any
collision with theological or religious
| opinions or beliefs and maintained the
utmost respect for the very varied rell-
| gous opinions of his audience. He gave
no opinion of his own on the subject, but
! after stating the facts as recognized by
1 all medical and other scientific men,
| hc'asked his hearers to draw their own
conclusions from them reminding them
that it was not, his business to guide
them in the matter. His class has cx-
i pressed themselves rs entirely satisfied
4 with his considerable way Of handling
this very delicate subject.
SERIOUS QUESTION.
He stated that the question is one not
TO DO answered off-hand by the micro
scope or test-tubc or other implements
employed by science and that very pos
slbly the laboratory did not supply all
the elements necessary for solving this
stupendous problem. In summing up Dr.,
i Taylor said: This, ethcn,4 Is the lesson
we have learned: that heWphenolncna
TO which we give the name of soul are In
cxtricnbly connected with the physoo-
4 gical functions of the brain; hat they
! had their origin In the far off organic
world and were Inherent actually or po-
: tcntially in Inorganic matter. Thus, as
We read the record. has begun and pro-
cccded through untold ages the majestic
4 march which starting from the dust of
the earth, at length presents the vcrtc-
hrate the mammal, the ape, the body
and the soul of man. All along our In
Z structor has been nature herself. we
feel that we have been docie AMI
earnestly attentive pupils. yet daunted
by the stupendous outcome confronting
MS. we have n misgving that, inapt and
incapable we may not after all, have
understood her teaching Alright.
Orange County Hunt.