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9Q6; __ THE X, E A P E R. [Ko. 339, Satu...
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PICTURES OF GERMAN LIFE. . Memoirs of Fr...
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A MATTER-OF-FACT METAPHYSICIAN. The Scie...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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That All Animals Give Out Carbonic Acid ...
influence exercised by light in the production of carbonic acid in animals . Sis experimeBts were performed on frogs , and he gives the tabulated results , which we may stjm up in a phrase : under equal conditions of temperature , A ° e' size & c , frogs produce tV to \ mor & carbonic acid when subject to the influence of light than when kept in obscurity . This production of carbonic acid is in direct ratio to the intensity of the light . These results are important , as showing the enormous influence exercised by light on animals , and they help to corroborate the experiment of Milne Edwabds , who prevented the tadpole ' s development into a frog by keeping it excluded from , light at a very low temperature ; an experiment we reversed : producing dwarf frogs by exposing tadpoles to unusual stimulus of light and beat . Moleschott ' s results may also one day help us to explain the empirical practice of keeping animals in the dark when fattening them . .
9q6; __ The X, E A P E R. [Ko. 339, Satu...
9 Q 6 ; __ THE X , E A P E R . [ Ko . 339 , Saturday ,
Pictures Of German Life. . Memoirs Of Fr...
PICTURES OF GERMAN LIFE . . Memoirs of Frederick Perthes . From the German of Clement Theodore Perthes . 2 vols . Thomas Constable and Co . This is a curious , and , in many respects , an interesting work ; to Germans we should imagine it would be fascinating , for most Germans have no conception that a book can be slow and monotonous , whereas we busier and more impetuous Englishmen have not the time nor the patience to make foot journeys of enormous distances unless the road be very attractive . For ourselves , we must confess to no little weariness in our progress through these two stout volumes ; and yet , on looking back at the scenes through which we slowly passed , we remember that we have followed the career of an enterprizing , honest , and remarkable man , through very troubled times of political and religious disturbance , through private sorrows and domestic ioys . The personal and more strictly biographical pages interest us most . We learn to love his loving wife Caroline , one of those who unite the schhie ¦ Seele to practical sense and domestic virtues , who can trouble themselves and others about ' the inner life , ' and yet make loving exemplary wives , good mothers , and firm friends . Some of her letters are charming , and it is beautiful to see the youthful affection which after twenty years of marriage iaakeslife for both of them a blessing . Perthes was a bookseller ; his talents and character not only made him ^ conspicuous in active political life , but made him the intimate friend of many of the leading men of his time . These pages * therefore , give ns glimpses of TTiebuhr , the Stolbergs , Jacobi , Claudius , Heerenj Arndt , Sehlegel , Stein , ¦ J ean Paul , and other less known , men but we prefer the rare glimpses they . give us of German life and manners . Much—toornuch—of the book is occupied , with political and religious matters treated too minutely for the pages of biography , and yet without sufficient detail to be interesting as historical notices . The best of these is the story of the bombardment of Hamburg by Davoust , and his subsequent brutal occupation of the city : — Perthea now felt ihtft & ns position in the Burgher-Guard , required him to exert all lus moral and physical powers of endurance , all Ms elasticity of spirit , and all Ms influence over men ' s minds , in ordex to stimulate the courage , and to increase the steadfastness of his fellow-citizens , under circumstances which , trying enough in themselves , were rendered still more so by the conduct of the military authorities . Sow he afforded to Von Hess—who in restless excitement passed from the boldest confidence to the most abject despair , and from the most violent activity to a state of absolute torpor—the support of which he stood in need ; now he might be seen quieting the citizens , when , without any apparent cause , they had been summoned by the alarm bell , and were left to stand forgotten , for hours together on the mustergrpuad ; on other occasions , and generally by night , he sought out the burghers on the more distant posts , to many of whom his presence was a source of courage and of confidence . " From the 9 th of May , " wrot « Caroline afterwards , " Perthes had not undressed , fox one-and-twenty nights , and during that period had never lain down in bed . I waa in daily anxiety for Ms life . He was only occasionally , and that half an hour at a time , in the houBe . The three younger children were at Wandsbeck , with my mother , the four elder were with me , because they could not have been ' xenoved . without force . I had no man on the premises—all were on guard . People wore constantly coming in to eat and drink , for none of our acquaintances kept house an the city . I had laid sacks filled with straw , in the large parlour , and there , night and clay , lay burghers , who came in by turns to snatch a short repose . At the battle of "Wilhelmsburg we lost our Weber , and many of our friends . Day and night I was on the balcony to see if Peithes , or . any of bnr relations , were carried by among the wounded . At the time when the cannonading was loudest , and the greatest terror and anxiety prevailed , lest the French should land , Perthe 3 sent to desire that I would instantly send him a certain small box , that lay on his writing-table . As I was ronniog down the stairs with the box in my hand , I felt sure that it waa filled with poison- I desired the messenger to- wait , and went to my room to decide what I ought to do , for thia gxeat matter was thua committed to me ; it was a dreadful moment . My horror , lest Pertaea should fall alive into the hands of the French , overcame mo ; and it appeared to me that God could not be angry with him for not willing this ; and then the injustice of my deciding a matter between him and his God seemed so great , that with trembling hands and knees , T , in God ' s name , gave the box to the messenger . Many hours elapsed before I heard anything farther . It was poison , and poison prepared for the purpose I had feared , but not for Perthes , who assured me before God that ho should mot have thought it lawful , and was displeased with mo for having so misunderstood him . " . The struggle was vain . Hamburg fell into the hands of the Trench , and Perthes had to fly with his family , for his was one of the ten names excepted * o » the general amnesty . The following shows him . in a more manly—we bad almost said more heroic—light , than when he was risking his life in defending the city : — Perthea had lost everything . His shop in . Hamburg was sealed , his other propercy yjaa sequestrated , and his dwelling-houso , aftor heing plundered of every ™? rl « i ° « 7 ^ *» wgned to a French general . Ready money for the support of his q rf ! : J 7 J * J ? , *** none - " Do not "oppose that I complain , " ho wrote to hia « r t * T « * J" ? 5 " to who haa nothing to repent of has alao nothing to complain X » , m t ^ * rJ ^/ i ^ ® wre 8 enco of Ctod ; X have often r isked my life , and why StIt wT K" * ^ i X havo l 08 t mv ^ tuno ? Go *' "ill be done ! I do not n ^ ti ^ Tt I t ^ Lil ??^ bWttd for mv wife and children In a foreign land . In the attuneti | , x ^ wehirt twosttlnUi o « myoutatanding claims , I Bn » U bo able to
fulfil all my engagements ; "but in our country no one is in a position to pay and I dare not press my demands in the French dominions , and thus I may not He able to avoid'bringing others into difficulty ; this tome is a great cause of grief . " Letters from creditors now came in from all parts , and there is none in which such expressions as the following may not be found : " Do not think of my claims at present ; I know as well as you do , that when you can pay , you will ; you acted as you were ' in duty bound to act . " By the help of the business books , which had been brought away Perthes managed to get a tolerable insight into his position , he made such arrange ! ments as were possible in the circumstances , and endeavoured , at all events , to secure the creditors , through the debtors of the house . By exerting himself to the utmost he accomplished -this . " He works from morning to night , " wrote Caroline , " with the exception of an hour after dinner , which we devote to thinking over our position or rather to sleep ; for we rise at four o ' clock , and require some repo se during the day Perthes is perfectly clear and calm , and , I may say , in some respects more cheerful than formerly , and so am I , while he is with me . " Perthes Teceived strength and encouragement from the expressions of respect and consideration that were conveyed to him from all sides . The book has been reduced from the German original , but it nri «* ht be reduced still further with advantage . °
A Matter-Of-Fact Metaphysician. The Scie...
A MATTER-OF-FACT METAPHYSICIAN . The Science of Mind ; or , JPneumatology . Vol . 1 . Longman and Co . It is not often we look into a volume of philosophy so utterly and surprisingly removed from any conceivable plan of rnietaphysical investigation . as ' .-this-. It is certainly original , in the sense of being unlike all ° othef treatises . Whereas in psychological writings generally -we are puzzled by a certain riot of ratiocination , in this work we are oppressed by merciless facts , of the most familiar kind for the most part , like stones tilted out of a cart , and without any attempt to link them together , or to show their bearing upon the argument which we presume they are meant to illustrate , but which is as yet the author ' s secret . ...... ' The materials of the Science of Mind " we are told at starting , " have been in existence from the creation , of man . We have in the Pentateuch a rich record of these materials from the earliest ages . " This is promising for an opening . Our curiosity is further excited by learning that tlie reason why a Pentateuchal science has not been elaboi * ated is because , " nnlike all other sciences , it is still unorganized . " The author lias given v « ry manyyears to this valuable Science , which only wants arrangement to rival Geometry , and the result of his meditations in this volume . We despair of being able to convey a correct idea of the book . It exceeds anything we remember in literature . To say that it is dull and commonplace -would be saying nothing ; there is a deliberateness about its dulness , a conscientiousness in its stupidity , a largo of commonplace never frittered awsiy by any attempts at originality , never disturbed by speculation , never perplexed by indiscreet vivacity . The first part treats of " The influence and action of Matter upon Mind occasioning sensation . " la the hands of a metaphysician , you know what problems would be stated and attempted to be solved under this Lead ; but our author is content to amass 150 pages 8 vo . of facts , such . as these : — : ' ¦ . . '¦ , . ¦¦ ¦ . - ¦¦ ¦ . ¦ - : ¦ : Cows' milk , and , to a less extent ^ the milk of other animals , after being left some time , resolves itself into two parts , cream and thinner milk ; from the latter , by a moderate application of heat , more cream can be separated . The flavour of cream is richer than that of milk . From cream , by agitation , the oily portion is separated ; this is called Gutter , and has a pleasant , peculiar flavour . Or these : — There are but limited means of discriminating by phraseology the sounds which brute animals produce . As illustrations , merely a few may be noticed : — " The agouti has a most plaintive cry -when sensible of danger . The ass makes a most outrageous sound at times , which is called braying . Tho herds of wild asses in Africa produce a concert which is horrific . The baboon . —These animals are warned by their sentinel , Who raises a loud cry . The babyroussa , or Indian hog , growls dreadfully . The bear has a fearful , interrupted growl . The bee . —The buzzing of the bee—a sound made "by their wings—is familiar . T / ie bittern . —The boom of this bird is dismally hollow . The btiffalo bellows more loudly than the bull . The camel , when overloaded , sends forth lamentable cries . The canary bird . —The melody and variety of its whistle or song are very grateful . The cat purs , caterwauls , hisses , or spits , & c . The cock crowa . The cricket chirrups . The cuckoo has a well-known note , from which it derives its name . The dog barks and growls . These illustrations do not , perhaps , strike you as likely to throw much light on the mystery of sensation , but the author is content to amass page after page of such facts , which he classifies with great' rigour . Among the " inorganic sensations , " we arc taught : — The shock occasioned by the electrical eel or tlie torpedo to the person touching it is very violeut and powerful . ¦ The cantharis , or Spanish fly , is used in plasters to raise blisters , a painful operation . There is a touch of humour , if it be not sublime stupidity , in the last phraso . The passage continues : — Many shrubs are armed with thorns and prickles , which , entering the flesh , occasion by the puncture . acute pain , and frequently produce inflammatory sores . A splinter entering- the flesh occasions considerable pain . The vengeance and cruelty of the Itoman soldiors , who crucified our Saviour , was shown in platting a crown of thorns , and forcing It on his brow . Tlie pain of this mu » t have been excruciating . The author has read many books in search of his facts , and tulles of motor nerves ' familiarly as maidens do of puppy dogs , ' although he lias read his books with but indifferent attention if he learned this anatomy froni them : ——The motor nerves , or mrvca of action , take their origin mostly , but not exclusively , in that portion of the brain which is called the cerebellum .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 20, 1856, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20091856/page/18/
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