66 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



for the reason lying still farther back, that they mean alike ; and 

 further, that this likeness of meaning is not confined to a group of 

 sign-words having the same primitive, but that it can be traced 

 throughout the whole family of homophonous sign-words." 



" The Chinese written system is not to be considered as an inven- 

 tion, as M. Gallery seems to do, but as a growth, perhaps of sev- 

 eral ages, quite similar to the gradual formation of spoken languages 

 in other countries. The law of its growth is to be sought in the 

 spoken language of China which previously existed. It is the greatest 

 of mistakes to suppose the written system to be something quite 

 distinct from and disconnected with the spoken. In order to make 

 out an obvious relation between the numerous and apparently diverse 

 meanings of a Chinese syllabic word, recourse must be had to pro- 

 cesses of investigation somewhat new in their kind. The natural 

 relations of ideas to each other must be sought out. Etymology 

 has been too much studied, as the Chinese study anatomy, by map- 

 ping out the surface of the body. What we want is that science 

 which shall enable us to trace out a positive relationship between 

 ideas superficially the most remote from each other, as the nerves, 

 and arteries, and veins of the body connect and cause to sympathize 

 parts apparently the least related. These relationships of ideas must 

 be shown to exist metaphysically, and at the same time it must be 

 shown that they are testified to by parallel processes of derivation 

 in various languages, except only the Chinese and a few others, which 

 do not admit of derivation." 



Two hundred and ninety-second Meeting. 



March 2, 1847. — Monthly Meeting. 



The President in the chair. 



Mr. Andrews presented a dissertation on the Tones of the 

 Siamese Language, by Mr. J. Caswell, American Missionary 

 in Siam, which was referred to the Committee on PubH- 

 cation. 



Dr. C. T. Jackson read a paper on the recent discovery, 

 claimed by himself, of the effects of the inhalation of sul- 

 phuric ether in producing insensibility to pain. 



