THE KINGDOM OF MAN 227 



physical operations are affecting living creatures and 

 Man himself and society ; and that criterion has not 

 always been attended to. Almost ideal is Man's use of 

 a head of water to generate electricity, by which in turn 

 he captures the nitrogen of the atmosphere, with the 

 result of forming fertilisers which increase the produce 

 of the earth, and give us daily bread. On the other 

 hand, the desolation of those areas to which the terrible 

 name " Black Country " is or may be applied, shows 

 that however necessary the iron- works are, the exploita- 

 tion cannot be called 2^ef/ec^. Irrigation — achievements 

 in a country where the rain previously went to waste 

 — are supremely economical, and, so to speak, greatly 

 to man's credit. But what of gold-mining where every 

 man working underground gradually gets his lungs 

 infiltrated with the fine dust and is doomed to a short 

 life unless he can change ? Man must look to the whole 

 cost of his conquests in the domain of things. 



§ 3. Control in the Realm of Organisms 

 As regards the realm of organisms, Man's aim is to 

 get more control of living creatures so as to make his 

 own position more secure, progressive, and enjoyable. 

 So he puts a check on the multiplication of poisonous 

 animals, dangerous animals, destructive animals, disease 

 animals. He offers a farthing a head for poisonous 

 snakes, and the wily Hindoo breeds them in his back 

 yard. He puts a check on multiplication of poisonous 

 plants, troublesome weeds, destructive plants, and 

 disease plants. Contrariwise, he tries to promote the 



