The Temple of Nature; or, the Origin of Society Part 17

Form'd a new s.e.x, the mother of mankind.

CANTO II. l. 140.

The mosaic history of Paradise and of Adam and Eve has been thought by some to be a sacred allegory, designed to teach obedience to divine commands, and to account for the origin of evil, like Jotham's fable of the trees; Judges ix. 8. or Nathan's fable of the poor man and his lamb; 2 Sam. xii. 1. or like the parables in the New Testament; as otherwise knowledge could not be said to grow upon one tree, and life upon another, or a serpent to converse; and lastly that this account originated with the magi or philosophers of Egypt, with whom Moses was educated, and that this part of the history, where Eve is said to have been made from a rib of Adam might have been an hieroglyphic design of the Egyptian philosophers, showing their opinion that Mankind was originally of both s.e.xes united, and was afterwards divided into males and females: an opinion in later times held by Plato, and I believe by Aristotle, and which must have arisen from profound inquiries into the original state of animal existence.

ADDITIONAL NOTES. XI.

HEREDITARY DISEASES.

The feeble births acquired diseases chase, Till Death extinguish the degenerate race.

CANTO II. l. 165.

As all the families both of plants and animals appear in a state of perpetual improvement or degeneracy, it becomes a subject of importance to detect the causes of these mutations.

The insects, which are not propagated by s.e.xual intercourse, are so few or so small, that no observations have been made on their diseases; but hereditary diseases are believed more to affect the offspring of solitary than of s.e.xual generation in respect to vegetables; as those fruit trees, which have for more than a century been propagated only by ingrafting, and not from seeds, have been observed by Mr. Knight to be at this time so liable to canker, as not to be worth cultivation. From the same cause I suspect the degeneracy of some potatoes and of some strawberries to have arisen; where the curled leaf has appeared in the former, and barren flowers in the latter.

This may arise from the progeny by solitary reproduction so much more exactly resembling the parent, as is well seen in grafted trees compared with seedling ones; the fruit of the former always resembling that of the parent tree, but not so of the latter. The grafted scion also accords with the branch of the tree from whence it was taken, in the time of its bearing fruit; for if a scion be taken from a bearing branch of a pear or apple tree, I believe, it will produce fruit even the next year, or that succeeding; that is, in the same time that it would have produced fruit, if it had continued growing on the parent tree; but if the parent pear or apple tree has been cut down or headed, and scions are then, taken from the young shoots of the stem, and ingrafted; I believe those grafted trees will continue to grow for ten or twelve years, before they bear fruit, almost as long as seedling trees, that is they will require as much time, as those new shoots from the lopped trunk would require, before they produce fruit.

It should thence be inquired, when grafted fruit trees are purchased, whether the scions were taken from bearing branches, or from the young shoots of a lopped trunk; as the latter, I believe, are generally sold, as they appear stronger plants. This greater similitude of the progeny to the parent in solitary reproduction must certainly make them more liable to hereditary diseases, if such have been acquired by the parent from unfriendly climate or bad nourishment, or accidental injury.

In respect to the s.e.xual progeny of vegetables it has long been thought, that a change of seed or of situation is in process of time necessary to prevent their degeneracy; but it is now believed, that it is only changing for seed of a superior quality, that will better the product. At the same time it may be probably useful occasionally to intermix seeds from different situations together; as the anther-dust is liable to pa.s.s from one plant to another in its vicinity; and by these means the new seeds or plants may be amended, like the marriages of animals into different families.

As the s.e.xual progeny of vegetables are thus less liable to hereditary diseases than the solitary progenies; so it is reasonable to conclude, that the s.e.xual progenies of animals may be less liable to hereditary diseases, if the marriages are into different families, than if into the same family; this has long been supposed to be true, by those who breed animals for sale; since if the male and female be of different temperaments, as these are extremes of the animal system, they may counteract each other; and certainly where both parents are of families, which are afflicted with the same hereditary disease, it is more likely to descend to their posterity.

The hereditary diseases of this country have many of them been the consequence of drinking much fermented or spirituous liquor; as the gout always, most kinds of dropsy, and, I believe, epilepsy, and insanity. But another material, which is liable to produce diseases in its immoderate use, I believe to be common salt; the sea-scurvy is evidently caused by it in long voyages; and I suspect the scrofula, and consumption, to arise in the young progeny from the debility of the lymphatic and venous absorption produced in the parent by this innutritious fossile stimulus. The petechiae and vibices in the sea-scurvy and occasional haemorrhages evince the defect of venous absorption; the occasional haemoptoe at the commencement of pulmonary consumption, seems also to arise from defect of venous absorption; and the scrofula, which arises from the inactivity of the lymphatic absorbent system, frequently exists along with pulmonary as well as with mesenteric consumption. A tendency to these diseases is certainly hereditary, though perhaps not the diseases themselves; thus a less quant.i.ty of ale, cyder, wine, or spirit, will induce the gout and dropsy in those const.i.tutions, whose parents have been intemperate in the use of those liquors; as I have more than once had occasion to observe.

Finally the art to improve the s.e.xual progeny of either vegetables or animals must consist in choosing the most perfect of both s.e.xes, that is the most beautiful in respect to the body, and the most ingenious in respect to the mind; but where one s.e.x is given, whether male or female, to improve a progeny from that person may consist in choosing a partner of a contrary temperament.

As many families become gradually extinct by hereditary diseases, as by scrofula, consumption, epilepsy, mania, it is often hazardous to marry an heiress, as she is not unfrequently the last of a diseased family.

ADDITIONAL NOTES. XII.

CHEMICAL THEORY OF ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM.

Then mark how two electric streams conspire To form the resinous and vitreous fire.

CANTO III. l. 21.

I. _Of Attraction and Repulsion._

The motions, which accomplish the combinations and decompositions of bodies, depend on the peculiar attractions and repulsions of the particles of those bodies, or of the sides and angles of them; while the motions of the sun and planets, of the air and ocean, and of all bodies approaching to a general centre or retreating from it, depend on the general attraction or repulsion of those ma.s.ses of matter. The peculiar attractions above mentioned are termed chemical affinities, and the general attraction is termed gravitation; but the peculiar repulsions of the particles of bodies, or the general repulsion of the ma.s.ses of matter, have obtained no specific names, nor have been sufficiently considered; though they appear to be as powerful agents as the attractions.

The motions of ethereal fluids, as of magnetism and electricity, are yet imperfectly understood, and seem to depend both on chemical affinity, and on gravitation; and also on the peculiar repulsions of the particles of bodies, and on the general repulsion of the ma.s.ses of matter.

In what manner attraction and repulsion are produced has not yet been attempted to be explained by modern philosophers; but as nothing can act, where it does not exist, all distant attraction of the particles of bodies, as well as general gravitation, must be ascribed to some still finer ethereal fluid; which fills up all s.p.a.ce between the suns and their planets, as well as the interstices of coherent matter.

Repulsion in the same manner must consist of some finer ethereal fluid; which at first projected the planets from the sun, and I suppose prevents their return to it; and which occasionally volatilizes or decomposes solid bodies into fluid or aerial ones, and perhaps into ethereal ones.

May not the ethereal matter which const.i.tutes repulsion, be the same as the matter of heat in its diffused state; which in its quiescent state is combined with various bodies, as appears from many chemical explosions, in which so much heat is set at liberty? The ethereal matter, which const.i.tutes attraction, we are less acquainted with; but it may also exist combined with bodies, as well as in its diffused state; since the specific gravities of some metallic mixtures are said not to accord with what ought to result from the combination of their specific gravities, which existed before their mixture; but their absolute gravities have not been attended to sufficiently; as these have always been supposed to depend on their quant.i.ty of matter, and situation in respect to the centre of the earth.

The ethereal fluids, which const.i.tute peculiar repulsions and attractions, appear to gravitate round the particles of bodies mixed together; as those, which const.i.tute the general repulsion or attraction, appear to gravitate round the greater ma.s.ses of matter mixed together; but that which const.i.tutes attraction seems to exist in a denser state next to the particles or ma.s.ses of matter; and that which const.i.tutes repulsion to exist more powerfully in a sphere further from them; whence many bodies attract at one distance, and repel at another. This may be observed by approaching to each other two electric atmospheres round insulated cork-b.a.l.l.s; or by pressing globules of mercury, which roll on the surface, till they unite with it; or by pressing the drops of water,' which stand on a cabbage leaf, till they unite with it, and hence light is reflected from the surface of a mirror without touching it.

Thus the peculiar attractions and repulsions of the particles of bodies, and the general ones of the ma.s.ses of matter, perpetually oppose and counteract each other; whence if the power of attraction should cease to act, all matter would be dissipated by the power of repulsion into boundless s.p.a.ce; and if heat, or the power of repulsion, should cease to act, the whole world would become one solid ma.s.s, condensed into a point.

II. _Preliminary Propositions._

The following propositions concerning Electricity and Galvanism will either be proved by direct experiments, or will be rendered probable by their tending to explain or connect the variety of electric facts, to which they will be applied.

1. There are two kinds of electric ether, which exist either separately or in combination. That which is acc.u.mulated on the surface of smooth gla.s.s, when it is rubbed with a cushion, is here termed vitreous ether; and that which is acc.u.mulated on the surface of resin or sealing-wax, when it is rubbed with a cushion, is here termed resinous ether; and a combination of them, as in their usual state, may be termed neutral electric ethers.

2. Atmospheres of vitreous or of resinous or of neutral electricity surround all separate bodies, are attracted by them, and permeate those, which are called conductors, as metallic and aqueous and carbonic ones; but will not permeate those, which are termed nonconductors, as air, gla.s.s, silk, resin, sulphur.

3. The particles of vitreous electric ether strongly repel each other as they surround other bodies; but strongly attract the particles of resinous electric ether: in similar manner the particles of the resinous ether powerfully repel each other, and as powerfully attract those of the vitreous ether. Hence in their separate state they appear to occupy much greater s.p.a.ce, as they, gravitate round insulated bodies, and are then only cognizable by our senses or experiments.

They rush violently together through conducting substances, and then probably possess much less s.p.a.ce in this their combined state. They thus resemble oxygen gas and nitrous gas; which rush violently together when in contact; and occupy less s.p.a.ce when united, than either of them possessed separately before their union. When the two electric ethers thus unite, a chemical explosion occurs, like an ignited train of gunpowder; as they give out light and heat; and rend or fuse the bodies they occupy; which cannot be accounted for on the mechanical theory of Dr. Franklin.

4. Gla.s.s holds within it in combination much resinous electric ether, which const.i.tutes a part of it, and which more forcibly attracts vitreous electric ether from surrounding bodies, which stands on it mixed with a less proportion of resinous ether like an atmosphere, but cannot unite with the resinous ether, which is combined with the gla.s.s; and resin, on the contrary, holds within it in combination much vitreous electric ether, which const.i.tutes a part of it, and which more forcibly attracts resinous electric ether from surrounding bodies, which stands on it mixed with a less proportion of vitreous ether like an atmosphere, but cannot unite with the vitreous ether, which is combined with the resin.

As in the production of vitrification, those materials are necessary which contain much oxygen, as minium, and manganese; there is probably much oxygen combined with gla.s.s, which may thence be esteemed a solid acid, as water may be esteemed a fluid one. It is hence not improbable, that one kind of electric ether may also be combined with it, as it seems to affect the oxygen of water in the Galvanic experiments. The combination of the other kind of electric ether with wax or sulphur, is countenanced from those bodies, when heated or melted, being said to part with much electricity as they cool, and as it appears to affect the hydrogen in the decomposition of water by Galvanism.

5. Hence the nonconductors of electricity are of two kinds; such as are combined with vitreous ether, as resin, and sulphur; and such as are combined with resinous ether, as gla.s.s, air, silk. But both these kinds of nonconductors are impervious to either of the electric ethers; as those ethers being already combined with other bodies will not unite with each other, or be removed from their situations by each other. Whereas the perfect conducting bodies, as metals, water, charcoal, though surrounded with electric atmospheres, as they have neither of the electric ethers combined with them, suffer them to permeate and pa.s.s through them, whether separately or in their neutral state of reciprocal combination.

But it is probable, that imperfect conductors may possess more or less of either the vitreous or resinous ether combined with them, since their natural atmospheres are dissimilar as mentioned below; and that this makes them more or less imperfect conductors.

6. Those bodies which are perfect conductors, have probably neutral electric atmospheres gravitating round them consisting of an equal or saturated mixture of the two electric ethers, whereas the atmospheres round the nonconducting bodies probably consist of an unequal mixture of the electric ethers, as more of the vitreous one round gla.s.s, and more of the resinous one round resin; and, it is probable, that these mixed atmospheres, which surround imperfect conducting bodies, consist also of different proportions of the vitreous and resinous ethers, according to their being more or less perfect conductors. These minute degrees of the difference of these electric atmospheres are evinced by Mr. Bennet's Doubler of Electricity, as shown in his work, and are termed by him Adhesive Electric Atmospheres, to distinguish them from those acc.u.mulated by art; thus the natural adhesive electricity of silver is more of the vitreous kind compared with that of zinc, which consists of a greater proportion of the resinous; that is, in his language, silver is positive and zinc negative. This experiment I have successfully repeated with Mr. Bennet's Doubler along with Mr.

Swanwick.

7. Great acc.u.mulation or condensation of the separate electric ethers attract each other so strongly, that they will break a pa.s.sage through nonconducting bodies, as through a plate of gla.s.s, or of air, and will rend bodies which are less perfect conductors, and give out light and heat like the explosion of a train of gunpowder; whence, when a strong electric shock is pa.s.sed through a quire of paper, a bur, or elevation of the sheets, is seen on both sides of it occasioned by the explosion. Whence trees and stone walls are burst by lightning, and wires are fused, and inflammable bodies burnt, by the heat given out along with the flash of light, which cannot be explained by the mechanic theory.

8. When artificial or natural acc.u.mulations of these separate ethers are very minute in quant.i.ty or intensity, they pa.s.s slowly and with difficulty from one body to another, and require the best conductors for this purpose; whence many of the phenomena of the torpedo or gymnotus, and of Galvanism. Thus after having discharged a coated jar, if the communicating wire has been quickly withdrawn, a second small shock may be taken after the princ.i.p.al discharge, and this repeatedly two or three times.

Hence the charge of the Galvanic pile being very minute in quant.i.ty or intensity, will not readily pa.s.s through the dry cuticle of the hands, though it so easily pa.s.ses through animal flesh or nerves, as this combination of charcoal with water seems to const.i.tute the most perfect conductor yet known.

9. As light is reflected from the surface of a mirror before it actually touches it, and as drops of water are repelled from cabbage leaves without touching them, and as oil lies on water without touching it, and also as a fine needle may be made to lie on water without touching it, as shown by Mr. Melville in the Literary Essays of Edinburgh; there is reason to believe, that the vitreous and resinous electric ethers are repelled by, or will not pa.s.s through, the surfaces of gla.s.s or resin, to which they are applied. But though neither of these electric ethers pa.s.ses through the surfaces of gla.s.s or resin, yet their attractive or repulsive powers pa.s.s through them: as the attractive or repulsive power of the magnet to iron pa.s.ses through the atmosphere, and all other bodies which exist between them.

So an insulated cork-ball, when electrised either with vitreous or resinous ether, repels another insulated cork-ball electrised with the same kind of ether, through half an inch of common air, though these electric atmospheres do not unite.

Whence it may be concluded, that the general attractive and repulsive ethers accompany the electric ethers as well as they accompany all other bodies; and that the electric ethers do not themselves attract or repel through gla.s.s or resin, as they cannot pa.s.s through them, but strongly attract each other when they come into contact, rush together, and produce an explosion of the sudden liberation of heat and light.

III. _Effect of Metallic Points._

1. When a pointed wire is presented by a person standing on the ground to an insulated conductor, on which either vitreous or resinous electricity is acc.u.mulated, the acc.u.mulated electricity will pa.s.s off at a much greater distance than if a metallic k.n.o.b be fixed on the wire and presented in its stead.

2. The same occurs if the metallic point be fixed on the electrised conductor, and the finger of a person standing on the ground be presented to it, the acc.u.mulated electricity will pa.s.s off at a much greater distance, and indeed will soon discharge itself by communicating the acc.u.mulated electricity to the atmosphere.