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Leader (1850-1860), 29th October 1853, Edition Town of 2, Page 1048, Untitled Article

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    • XutiiAm.
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      Xutiiam.

      XutiiAm .

      Untitled Article

      Awfiov&M tlie connexion between the Stage and the Pulpit is more © J > yjpus in & sarcasm than in a serious consideration of the two—although "hypocrite" primarily means " actor "—and although young gentlemen with lofty aspirations , and five detestable acts of very blank verse in their pockets , teU us emphatically , that " the Stage is a Lay Pulpit" ( which sonorously dignifies a very agreeable recreation ) , we have not yet made out the subtle link of sympathy , which seems to connect the two . That the Rev . W . Gbuels should first learn his hideous elocution from an *' ol < l established actor , " and then mount the pulpit to fulminate against all actors , is intelligible enough . But what is it which lures the " old established" from the boards " which Eemble , Siddons , Kean have trod" to the pulpit , not made illustrious by the Rev . Geitels ?

      There have been many actors who have quitted the stage for the pulpit ; we have not heard of any one quitting the pulpit for the stageprobably because all actors imperiously claim " leading parts . " But in all the changes , we remember none more curious than , that of Shebidan Enowies , who , having secured a first place among dramatists , tried bravely to secure a place among actors ; giving up at last , when the fight was no longer promising either to dramatist or actor , he turned theologian , and published a work against the Pope ; and now , we hear , he has taken his place in the pulpit , with chance of being a popular preacher . All these phases of a long career are assuredly intelligible enough to those who know the man , and have traced the gradual process of each change ; but to the public they are paradoxical , and may impede his acceptance .

      Untitled Article

      In France Dr . Veeon is exciting considerable uneasiness by following the common , but unscrupulous , plan of publishing the letters he has , from time to time , received from men with whom he has had transactions . The other day a bootmaker wrote to a wit respecting a small financial operation desired on the bootmaker ' s part . The wit , on being reproached with not even answering the letter , replied , that he was " afraid of one day seeing his epistle in the Memoires d ' zm Battier de Paris . " Biography has certainly put a great check on correspondence . We know more than one public perRonage in constant vigilance with respect to letters even on trifling subjects . Lovers of gossip will , nevertheless , nock to Mr . Jeffs ' s shop to secure the first volume of Veron ' s book .

      Untitled Article

      It will be interesting to many of our readers to learn , that Augtjste Comte has just issued the third volume of his Sgsteme de Politique Positive , winch , contains the " Philosophy of History / ' and may , therefore , be studied as a separate work , especially by the se who hare the exposition of Comte , recently published in Bohn ' s Scientific Library . Tliis volume , of six : hundred and twenty pages of abstract matter , Comte assures us ho has written , " without precipitation or fatigue in simonths It is the fruit of

      x . " " the honourable protection afforded him by the elite of the western peoples , which permits him to devote himself exclusively to his mission . " The volume opens with a preface , in the stylo of his late prefaces , which must pain all ins sincere friends ; and is succeeded by two circulars , one addresHed to the Emperor Nicholas , the other to Bbsctiii ) Pasii A—both the naive ( productions of a man who , living in hermit-like retirement , occupied in revolving his own thoughts , has lost the sense of ordinary affairs .

      Untitled Article

      BOOKS ON OUR TABLE . The Coal Mine ,, their Damyern and Mean , of Safety . By . Tamos Matlior . Longman and Co Decimal ' . Coinage TaAU , JJy K Mean .. w j A ( , Anuilie Cholera . By It . Harwell . « j , ,,. , ... The Adventures of Mr . Verdant Green , an O . iford Freshman . By C . Bodo . ]» . „„ rr , , _ .., , Nathaniel Coolcp The Uniuerml Jjioraru , In . ,, ,, . . ., , _ . ... _ , , , . „• .. m ¦ j . , -. * , JNuthiuiicl Cooliu . OtUhiieH ofQcnttral lLwtorg , Ancient and Modern . By D . fiery mm'our 1 « T a . _ , .. . „ . . Sutherland and Knox . Vacher * Stamp Duttct Duie » t . ., . . ... ,. , „ . ,. » r . , , -n i j t . ,- ¦ ViUihtir ai » l Hdiih . Jn-ee Thowihti on Natural and Revealed / celu / ion . , „ . .. s , i ¦ , ¦ -j ¦ , ~ t ¦ mi ri- , /• ,-, < ¦ ' /• - .. I'harleH 1 ' ox . Christianity tu China . —She . Ututory if Chrtntuin Mtmions and of the Present . Insiirrec / io / i Is

      TlU ll ^ MZ ' y . t J- ~ A Lm " Sforjf : < l F < - " !»»> - >* fro '" "The Doctor , " ^' " j" tlLuata ThtP the " liov c '' Sim" ofiherroUU ' Mpitcopia Church / ,, // , „ United M . uJlfj ^ Zhu " ty Margaret ; or , 1 ' rrjndiee At Iton \ e , ami itn Viatimn . An Autobiography , 1 } voIh 7 « ' ' '" H <> 1 '' it . UimlUvy .

      Untitled Article

      LIFJC OF ABUUNETJI Y . Memoirs of John Ahernethi ) , FJI . S . With a view op hi ft Ltictur ,- * ii ^ . v Character . By George' Mncilwuin , FJLC . H . In 'lL V « fc \ T vl \^ iu . ^ ""* Hurst itiid UluokoW ; AnimNETiiY B name , once so celebrated , both an that of anabloprHHih ' oiu > r and eccentric character , ifl now only mentioned m tlio lioro of Homo po ' pulnr anecdotes , although in the HiHtory of the Art ho practised ho mimt for aomo time continue to Jiold a place , an an iiulopondoui thinkor and ahle teacher . TJio " Li /' o" of hucIi ^ man , if publi » Jiod when lm roputntiou wns HtiU warm , bo to apeak , might Jiavo boon a dowiiviblo work . At proHonl

      the need for such a work can hardlv exist ; certainly not for such a wort as that of Mr . Greorge Macilwain . The book is a mistake . As a biography it is meagre beyond excuse ; the few biographical facts would barely make up a scanty " Memoir" prefixed to an edition of Abernethy ' s Works , and are not narrated by Mr . Macilwain in a style to make their meagreness forgotten . The two volumes of digression and gossip , slop and science which he has devoted to the subject , ought to have been one , and that one small in bulk . If Mr . Macilwam feels an indweUing oestrus irresistibly compelling him to publish his views on " things medical , " let him by aU means do so ; only to begiiile a reader by promising a book on AbernetW and having allured him with such a promise to give him " leaves from the note-book of a medical man" is not wise , for the entrapped reader rebellingagainst such procedure , is unjust to the matter Mr . Macilwain does give him . Thus much by way of warning and objection . For the rest , medical men will read the volumes with a certain interest , if they come prepared not to find much about Abernethy ; while " general '' readers must be informe d that the biographical interest of the book is null , and that even the anecdotes are sparing . Here is one which is new to us and is verydramatic : — "On one occasion , Sir James Earle , his senior , was reported to have given Abernethy to understand that on the occurrence of a certain eTent , on which he would ohtain an accession of property , that he , Sir James , would certainly resign the surgeoncy of the Hospital . About the time that the event occurred , Sir James happening one day to call on Abernethy , was reminded of what he had been understood to have promised . Sir James , however , having , we suppose , a different impression of the facts , denied ever having given any such a pledge . The affirmative and negative were more than once exchanged , and not in the most courteous manner . When Sir James was going to take his leave , Abernethy opened the door for him , and as he had always something quaint or humorous to close a conversation with , he said , at parting : 'Well , Sir James , it comes to this : you say that you did not promise to resign the surgeoncy at the Hospital , I , on the contrary , affirm that you did ; now all I have to add is , —— the liar ! ' " We shall indulge in only one more extract , and that one shall be an abbreviation of Mr . Macilwain ' s exposition of

      A . BEENETHY ON ANIMAL HEAT . "The discovery of oxygen gas by Priestley , not only gave a great impetus to chemical inquiries , but affected physiology in a very remarkable manner ; when it was found that the more obvious phenomena of all cases of ordinar y burning , lamps , candles , and fires of every kind , consisted of the chemical union of charcoal and oxygen ( carbonic acid ) , and again , when it was discovered that animals in breathing somehow or other produced a similar change , one may conceive how ready every one was to cry : ' I bave found it ! The heat of animals is nothing more than combustion ! We inhale-oxygen ; we breathe out carbonic acid ; the thing is plain . This is the cause of animal heat !'

      " It has always struck us as a curious thing that chemists should have attached such a , dominant influence m the production of heat in animals , to the union of carbon and oxygen ; becauBc nobody is necessarily so familiar as they are , with the fact that the evolution of boat is not at all peculiar to the union of these bodies ; but is a circumstance common to all changes of eveiy kind , in all forms of matter ; there always being either the absorption or the evolution of heat . '' There is no doubt that the analogy is very striking between the changes which appear to be wrought in respiration , and those which take jilace in ordinary combustion . A very little consideration shows that the idea that respiration is the cause of animal heat , or that it is due to any other change of oxygen , is not only an assumption ; but in the highest degree doubtful . In the first place , the carbonic acid thrown out when we expire is certainly not made by the immediate union of oxygen with charcoal expired ; secondly , nothing is so clear that in respiration there is an immense quantity of heat thrown out of the body . "

      '' In order to cstimalio correctly the value of those surfaces to the animal or vegetable , it is obviously of great importance to us to know what they do , and it they give off anything , to ascertain its nature . That either animal or vegetable may bo healthy , the processes of nature , whatever they are , muHt be carried on ; and we may be assured , that the fragrance of the rose is just as noccssaiy an exhalation from the'plant , as it is an agreeable impression to uh . " But all animals may be said to breathe quite an much by their skin as by their lungs . Leaves , too , are the breathing surfaces of vegetables ; and therefore to ascertain the iaetB in the one without inquiring into those obnorvablo in the other , would be likely to fog our reasoning and falniiy our conclusions . The first iniproHfiion wo obtain from all animala is from external form and appearance—from , in fact , its outward covering . It wa . s the first organ to which Abemethy devoted his most particular attention , ami hero again his investigations hIiow how littlo those knew of his mind who imaginod that bin thoughts were restricted to anyoneset of organs . "

      Abornolliy directing his attention to ascertaining what the skin actually gave oil ' , and wJmt were tho changes of tlio air in the lungs during inspiration , made a scries of experiments : — " Having a trough containing a , large quantity of quicknilver , he filled " tf . jar ( Hufueiently oapsw . iouH to contain bin hand and wrint ) with that inotal . H ° ul " verted it into tlio ( -rough in the usual way of proceeding in collecting ga . se . H . " •' fixed the glass jar in a sloping position , that he might ; introduce his hntul the UK " ' " readily beneath the quicksilver . Jn thin way , whatever was given <) h " 1 i - « hi the skin of the hand , rising through tin ; quicksilver to the top of tho # lass , and <> i course displacing a proportionate quantity of quicksilver , could be made the hiiI > - jeet of analysis . )

      "Ho deseribeH bin first ; experiment aa follows : 'I held my hand ten niinutoH » tho jar beneath the surface of fclw quicksilver , and frequently inovwl it i" tlijisituation , in order to detach any atmospheric ; air thiit might accidentally adh < " <» ' . <> it , and afterwardH introduced it into tho inverted jar . The quiekmlver hooii inquired a degree of warmth which rendered it not unpleasant : Minute ; iir-l ) ubl >' ' ascended to tlio top of the quioksilvxir , more speedily in tho beginning of the experiment , moro tardily toward *! tho conclusion . After an Jiour Jia < l elapsed , withdrew my hand ; tho bubbles of air , which now appeared on the top <> ' ( '" ° quicksilver , were , I supposein bulk equal to one le of water .

      , scrup " Mn dxteen hour « , I collected a half ounce measure of air , which iiuik «« «« o < grains the uvenigod product ; of mi liour . . No kind of moisture nppoared on w BUifacu of tho quicksilver . . Soino hucJiing-paper was put up , which wa " w ' j ' " drawn unmoiHtonod . My hand wan always dump when taken out ol ¦ quicksilver . Whatever aqueouH per «[) iration was produced ndhoro ( I to ^ Hurfaco , whilst tho auiforin iiseondod to the toj ) of the jar . To tho air " thuf » uolleotod , I tl » rew up lime-water , when about two-tliirds of it wore rapu . y

      Untitled Article

      Critics are not the leAislators . "but tte judges and police of literature . They do not make la-ws—they interpret and try to e . nforce them- — Edinburgh Review .

      Untitled Article

      ims THE 1 EAD 1 B , [ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 29, 1853, page 1048, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2010/page/16/