STATK HURTICUI/riHAl. SOCtKTY. 141 



I 



joy in the heart may become a thought in the mind, and the kindling of 

 a gratified taste may be transformed to strength in the volition, stoutness 

 in the purpose, and activity in the perception of truth or the performance 

 of work ? If there be any such intimate or vital relation between the 

 several parts of our nature, then surely he who suppresses or fails to 

 properly cultivate one element, diminishes his sources of power, and robs 

 the remaining parts of his nature of their natural supports. 



It is an established fact of the new physiology that the pleasant 

 emotions increase the nerve and brain power, while the dull and 

 depressing passions diminish it. Exhilarating feelings favor all healthful 

 nutrition ; their opposites exhaust and waste the energies. These facts 

 may not seem to the careless thinker, who is unacquainted with the 

 sources of all power, to be of any serious account. Men are so wonted 

 to the belief that the will itself can give power, that they are inclined to 

 neglect all care for their recruitment or conservation of their energies. 

 They are inclined to laugh at such views as the foregoing, as if they were 

 mere idle speculations or dreams. But nature can not be cheated, and, 

 out of the millions of her heedless and unbelieving children, only a few 

 rise to any grandeur of achievement, or win even the commoner measures 

 of success. 



Prof. BuRRiLL stated that the essay just read was the presentation of 

 only one part of the subject, and that the Doctor would, if desired, 

 prepare the other portion and furnish for publication. It was voted to 

 request Dr. Gregory to complete his essay for publication. 



REPORT ON METEOROLOGY. 



Prot". J. B. Tlrnek. of Jacksonville, Committee on Meteorology, 

 read the following essay, entitled : 



CAUSES OK ("I.IMArU CHAN'fiES ANK THEIR PERIOHS. 



The past season has been quite remarkable for it> extremes of heat 

 and cold, rains and droughts ; while the rains and cold were general, 

 extreme, and unusually destructive. They destroyed, over wide areas, 

 nearly all the fruits and great amounts of the staple crops of the West. 



In view of these results, Boss Tweed's far-famed question, "What 

 are you going to do about it?" is at once pertinent and easily answered. 

 We can do nothing with such results, except to anticipate and guard 

 against them by either learning to fore.see their approach or reserving pro- 

 ducts to tide us safely past them. 



We have but three practicable means of foresight : knowledge of signs, 

 of periods, and of causes. 



Meteorology is a science in about the same sense that metaphysics, 

 geology, theology, mesmerism, phrenology, spiritualism and finance are 

 sciences. Almost every man of us knows he thinks, feels, and wills some- 

 how ; that he stands upon some sort of an earth, has some sort of brains 

 in his head, some sort of a soul in his body, and there is some cash in the 



