THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 229 



very very far from being proved. By the help of this sort of dic- 

 tatorial assertion, it is now proposed to determine conclusively the 

 nature of thought, and to supersede the necessity of studying the 

 mere structure and action of the anatomical elements of which the 

 organism consists. Mental action, and the comparatively low ordi- 

 nary phenomena of life are thus disposed of — " The very highest 

 condition of life, the most vigorous condition of health, is that state 

 in which death of the particles of the body is most rapid and con- 

 tinuous, for the very force which we make use of in willing, reasoning, 

 and perceiving is primarily derived from the chemical union of the 

 tissues with oxygen, which has been compared by Baron Liebig to 

 the falling weight by which the works of a clock are kept in motion." 

 The dexterous framers of such convincing statements, encouraged 

 by public approval, will continue to produce them, and innocent 

 readers will accept them as eloquent expositions of the " tendency 

 of thought." A mere microscopist may have the impertinence to 

 endeavour to analyse the high-flown language, and to try to find 

 out what meaning can be extracted from the grand and broad views 

 which look so imposing, and astound the simple and unlearned ; 

 but are not physicists scientific prophets, who alone have power to 

 regulate and govern public opinion in all matters relating to the 

 science of the future ? And would it not be very presumptuous to 

 reason with a prophet, and monstrous to suppose that under any 

 circumstances he could modify his opinion ? Privileged prophets 

 have afrirmed that it will ere long be positively proved that the 

 phenomena of things commonly called living, really do depend 

 upon the collocations of the compound molecules of which they 

 consist, and that these and their combinations are due to the pro- 

 perties of the ultimate constituent elements combining under cer- 

 tain fixed external conditions in obedience to unalterable laws. 



But history will have to record in these days of fact and law in- 

 exorable, when physical science was taught in village schools, and 

 physical philosophers ruled supreme in society, that certain Fellows 

 of the Royal Society associated themselves with a so-called 

 " medium " to investigate the so-called spiritual phenomena, and 

 to consider whether table turning and chair lifting, and accordion 

 playing, without the action of the medium's muscles, was or was 

 not due to " psychic force." The details you will find in a journal 

 called the " Spiritualist," where, I regret to say, you will also 

 notice the statement that Mr. Alfred Wallace, the naturalist, the 



