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Leader (1850-1860), 20th October 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 16, y^a T M^::<^^^MMPM'^'r [is&M^:&$!mm6&

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      4> Fali>Biworldfibaya Goethe, '' Rthere ...

      4 > fali > biWOrldFiBaya Goethe , '' rthere are few voices and so many echoes ;' y * t unhappily it is by no means tjie loudest rpfce which most deserves re ? rerberationfl , although thS ldudest mbstceWaini ^ creWes tHein , ; Wnat an immense ad ^ iin ^ lib % xJuia fee 1 ? M ^|^ % ^ s « pns - iii Literature and frh ^ ai ^ w ^ rd & c ^^ 4 $ llftonW quite ' secondary , sometimes quite trivial 5 l ^ ake . as a , present illustration the Plurality of / Worlds , -which U surely a quite secondary fatter ' i being , * s it assuredly is * altd ^ ether beypi ^ t the sphere of demonatrntion , ire cannot consider :-it . as more than a sportof speculative feney , of the

      about as worthy of a place in thW phHo ^ pjhy age as ^ olfo ' sjburney tsp ^ ihe " mown , : ; sd fencifullydescried by 'i ^ ipSTO . ' "Xejf W < s fraye not , done -withi £ '& feh a ^ r ^; ithe ^ Qus sip n in bpofe ^ a ^ d review . -For some time I ^ giBr ; ^ flnaiijhaye attention called to more last words * < Within the sphere of actual knowledge certain limits are set to the productive powers of writers and reasoners . Unless a jnan can bring forward' new faefcror Uew conclusions , we are apt to weary of iteration . But in'Metaphysics there are io facts , and in questions ; of lpbser analogy uncontrpiled by facts , sff & t as this o £ planets inhabited by sentient beings , each man considers bjrpseifwarranted in bringing his quotaof nothing to the general void .

      Zl ? he Jffii & urgh Review and the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal have articles on tMs ^ wearisome subject ;< the former jourrial strenuous in its advocacy of an universal population Jf the latter pi ^ iiiititly eliciting the cpntr ^ dlc ^ oro ; wH ^ logic somewliat loose , tibat if Whewewc's conclusions be . adopted , we must give up all faithin astronomical science . It appears to us that one reason of the feebleness whichM generalcharacterises the " replies ' to WaEWBia ,, is the very great demand the qBrestion makes upon scientific knowledge . It caUs upon the

      asteiMidMerV ' thei ^ geolbgisti and the biologist i ^ i almost equal prPpprtipns . 3 ? KB jdil ^ dni ^^ dpm ; li : npws ; jnuch . of geology , 8 * ; less of ^ ^ ° Sy-^ i ? j ^^^ ij | t * a . r ^ ajrfcible acquirements ; and ; extensive Joadwledge give him a manifest superiority . In the very last paper which , has come before us , namely , the paper in the Edinburgh Review , we find great familiarity with astronomy , but we . ; also . find , a temerity , of language which looks so like complete unapquaintanpe with the rudimentary facts of physiology , that we a ^ re amazed hpwi so able a writer could venture thus -beyond the circle of his knowledge ;—> i ; .. - , {¦ ¦ .. ¦ . '> * ¦ ¦¦ ¦ ¦ > . ' -. . ¦ • ¦ •¦ < ¦¦ - ¦ ¦ -

      Hnitheidetailedarrjingomehta of thia only World , of whoae'condltion man has any positive veYperience , it is found that the vast gaseous accriiiiulatlon , which is denominated # » e vapour-aphere or atmosphere , ia in varioua , ways intimately connected -with tfi ^ ae ^ eaipf-tran ^ fprmations and changes that constitute lifoiin its widest sense . The spbsta ^ ce of the a & is composed of the particular , material , -atoms that are mainly eWP ? W $ itt the , Wo * ^ f ,, organi ^ fabricatiqn , ^ nd those j aton ^ are ^ qed in ^ it in such a ! a »« e ^ r loose . relative ) connexion that they are , pefiujiarlv available for toe purpose . M , Indeed fr orgahisable substance ija a rjeadj | y ofganisable pondition . , Plants , and all ; vegetal © productions , which constitute the ultimate nourishment of animal bodies , are- ^< IiiS ' of 4 he g «^^ ' , ' , ' ¦ '' , ' , " ' ¦' , ' ,,., ' . '" , . ' ... Of two , tbing ^ one : « ther the revlfew » ; is employing ! { language with a l ^^ y ;^ oh | sf . uitOTly . ' ui ^ ustifiaibie ' . i especially ^ n ^ apientifi

      fK 8 He ^ tyle error r— /; , ,, ; . ' ,.,,,, ,.:, .,.. ; .. The atmosphere ,- in short , is the' great reservoir from wMch the material of life is inttaediStel ^ derived , and into which the waste of , life is thrown , and all the same time Wia the | iifune agent by whose instrumentality t ^ ie operations of life are set going . It i ^ th © 'mw Jum which stands bettfeen and connects the opposite extremes of vegetable nd i « nlmtt 4 ' existence , which adapts each io the ndcessities of the other , and which tindcoK aaohpossible . Wherever there is : air on the earth vital phenomena manifest the ( n 8 elve «; whenever air is absent every kind of vital operation stops . Sa iatimatelyj iilfS ^ n jmrli ^ in the' ephero of human Observation and-experience , are life and air tayimfoiyl ; < onneqied , , t , ^ 9 , t it . becomes , altogether , impofl « U > le tp separate them in tWaght . Eaeh ieema a «» much . adapted to ^ he other a ^ the , ? ye iaaOaptqd to Ught , or ^ HilFW ' fcWW ^ ' ^ i ^^ terms ,, sp fionly assdplated l ^ bat } hey Mm' A » eySrki & tW mlndf . Wheriev ^ th ., Wea of pne ' w doled up , notfons of

      mwWMmy ^' wwto-pity *^^ " ' "Ut If & ndwii ^ frym - tnesft relMohs that if wen looked oilt into the apace which surr * trt » 'd ^ 'iV »^ rth'j'iiW ' aaw' upon some . remote ifih floating in it trees arid shrubs , and ^ W ^ l ^ te fit ^ a tereepWij' thl 6 ffs , they would Map' Wlievti h * the presence there of air : CtoiM taif out beholding such forms " do otherwise ? " 0 uCh presence would manifestly ba ^^ luui / M M matter bfT < course , and = flot even questioned . But when they look into apaijtltliey eee orba that are inyeated with gaaeoua and vaporous atmospheres , and by a , reversal of the process ; they believe in the presence of living creatures . 1 They accept t ^ ejoorrelfl ^ tlpn a » ipatteripf course , J iiataa they would in Jhe pthar caso , and do . not even make | t a aubjept for question , until some » ceptlcal essay is compiled to challenge 4 $ r . fiJt ) j ., " ., ¦ ..- ' . " ., » .: ... . ' . ' ,. u . .... ,. > vi ^ ijir ely a yepy , alight consideration , might > haye euggesocl to him thut even wdre' Pur Atmosphere the reservoir , of life which he supposes , 1 the mere existe « O 0 of at * atmosphere round other planets would not be enough to prove tlW'breaeiitie of life , seeing that the moon may ; haVe aft atmosphere of ' * QO 4 e > d ^ aH ^^ tf ^" ; w , itt » pi » t Us being idewtfaal wittf fiuf »|; iiiosphere ; and we aU ^ w ,. ^ t » dWerenco in the proporMou of gaaea in pur pwn atinpapherp # f ^ M ) W ^ SoQta prevent life ; a little more carbonic acid would kill every * u ? ip 4 jtt , ] little , leaa would destroy every plant . Of what use ia it , then , for tronomera to argue whether the planets have atmospheres , unless they oan

      analyse thosfe atmospheres , and telltis whatiare . - their cPnstituenM ? x'This question naturally presents- itself to the physioiogiat \ but to the astronomer it does not present itself . Enough ior him to p " r / bve an ! atjinosphere t ' that done , he thinks all jsjdpne . t ...,.,.,, •; . .- ' ¦ .- ¦ : t . . ' -.-. ' . . -...: i- ¦ . ¦• ..- / . . ¦ •/ : ;¦ . 1 ^ ihe ^( Unbt ^ gh ^ FtilosopTiical Journal , always valuable , in its contributions ,, there is a paper of great interest by Professor Goodsir on the "Kresent State of Organic Electricity" in-which he reviews the history of the various 'discoveries which have been made in determining the' electricity of plants arid animalsl It is too long for analysis '; instead of drawing upon it , w < q 1 toay amuse ^ h ' e reader by an . a | iec ^ ote of the Jaguar ( which the Journal quotes ) related by Hebndon in his " Exploration of the Amazon . " Doubtless , many readers have watched a cat fishing—a sight to be seen ! but what

      would they give to have seen a jaguar lying full length on a rock level with the water , as " from time to time he struck the water with his tail , and at the same . moment raised one of his forepaws and seized a fish , often of an enormous size ,. " Perhaps the reader would like to know how the lashing of the water with his tail ( the jaguar ' s , not the reader's ) assisted the fishing operation ? Mr . Herndon's explanationis that " the fish , deceived by the noise , and taking it for the fall of forest fruits ( of which they are very fond ) unsuspectingly approach , and soon fall into the claws of the traitor . " Very ingenious : but how came the jaguar , to invent that plan ? How did he leara the tastes of the fish ? JBLpw did he hifc upon this method of deluding the poor ignorant gluttons ? . Here is . a problem in animal psychology which we leave the reader to work out : it is not half so difficult as it seems . ¦ ¦•' ¦ ¦

      In the Journal of Psychological Medicine there is a curious classified table of the occupations of the insane , taken from Bethlem Hospital . At first one is struck with the contrasts , until simple arithmetical consideration comes to aid , and one sees that the employment which has many followers will furnish a larger number of the insane than an emplPyment which has comparatively few followers . Yet this will not alone account for the contrast ; often the number of the insane will bear no sort of relation to the number of follpwers . For example , we find eight artists to three authors , yet authors are undoubtedly far more numerous than artists , while attorneys , more numerous than both , have only four . But let us hear Dr . "Wbbsxeh : — Looking at the table in the aggregate , clerks constitute the most numerous body of male patients admitted , whilst labouring under insanity . Next carpenters , labourers , andtailora ; then turners , grocers , and schoolmasters ; amongst the latter of whom there are twenty-seven instances . The circumstance . seems rather remarkable , that so teachers of youth as the number mentioned should have become insane ,

      many seeing schoolmasters are by np means a numerous fraternity . This is proved by the fact of there being only 167 ft persons returned as so engaged by the census of 1851 , and ^ resident within the metropolis . Of course , it cannot hence be positively asserted that those engaged in teaching are more liable to become victims to mental disease than in some other occupations t as , for instance , medical practitioners , of whom twenty-rtwo examples are-reported to have been received , into Bethlem Hospital , the total amount of physicians , . and . surgeons , -beirig 8969 in London , or > upwards double the number of schoolmasters . Again , thirtyrfour turners were admitted : and aa this claps is even lesa numerous than the latter , ox ; only 1317 throughout the metropolitan districts , jit seems not pyerstraining the argument to assume that individuals dedicated to this kind of . eiilployment become oftener insane than various other parties occupied in a different manner . For example , only thirtj ' -five taUors are stated to haVe ^ been received into the insane wardTa of Bethlem , riottWthstanding' that body of workmen is very numerous , there being not less than 20 , 257 in London , or more than fifteen times the number of turners ; nevertheless , the total cases were almost

      identical . ' .. •¦ »' . •¦ .. ¦ . ¦/ : ¦ ¦• . ¦ '¦ , ¦¦ ¦¦ ¦ . ¦ . Much the same kind of-reasoning may also apply / ito-. sery . ants ,. of -which thirty-two cases of insanity are recorded j and as thia class comprises . 21 , 507 individuals , if those at inns W f npliyied , it becomes a circumstance worth noting that so few lunatics , were comprised in this division . At all event * , ^ notwithstanding such inferences may appear rather inpre . spe ^ iative , than , yet proved ,, the table , certainly demonstrates mental disease oftener ' supervenes amongs ); certain classes of workmen compared with others whose occupations are of a different' description . In respect of turners , although a very limited' body olf artikaris , it Is somewhat singular the cases registered Were so numerous ; ah * the above fact would almost warrant the conclusion that their particular kind of'occupation apparently exerts an influence in producing these attacks : But whether through the rapid rotary motion of the machinery used , and so exciting the 1 brain from the uniform attention required on the workman ' s part , or by the monotonous , but constantly changing aspect of the articles they make , deserves further , attention and much additional experience before speaking upon the subject with ; confidence , , ...

      , Among women , it is found that needlewomen and governesses are most subject to insanity :-r— ¦¦ i ; m , < Another class of single Women seems , however , even more predisposed to and afflicted by mental disease ^ namely governesses : « f whom ' sixty-two instances are recorded in the table ; making nearly one in every thirty-three female lunatics admitted . Like schoolmasters , governesses are not a numerous body , speaking comparatively ; and therefore the coincidence appears more singular , that both these claesea , who are each engaged in training the rising generation , and also imparting knowledge to young minds , should respectively furnish so Jarge a proportion of inmates to Bethlem Hospital ; but why this remarkably similar result should happen ia difficult of explanation .

      Herbert Spencer's Jpsychology. The Princ...

      HERBERT SPENCER'S JPSYCHOLOGY . The Principles of Psychology . By Herbert Spencer . Author of " Social Statics . , , Longman and Corw the year 1839 , Sdbwann published his masterly work on the accordance in the Structure and growth of animals and plants , in which ho demonstrated that the same laws of growth were common to the two kingdoms , and that all the wondrous variety of animal tissues wsb nothing but the variation ot on £ principle of cell growth . Every organism begins with a cell j every part of the organism is made up of colls variously modified . 4 This work produced an epoch . From its appearance dat « s the rise ot structural anatomy , and most of the reigning speculations in biology . Sue-

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 20, 1855, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20101855/page/16/