I 



POPULAR FALLACIES. 



1. Fallacy of the evidence of the senses. 2. Fallacies of vision. 3. As- 

 applied to the sun and moon. 4. Mechanism of the eye its uses. 

 5. Perceptions of colour 6. Fallacies of smell, taste, and touch. 

 7. Fallacies as to number 8. Impressions retained by the eye. 

 9. Fallacies as to distance 10. Fallacies of touch of apparent tem- 

 perature. 11. Explained by reference to temperature of the human 

 body. 12. Cause of apparent coldness of glass and porcelain. 

 13. Explanations of the feats of mountebanks exposing their bodies to 

 a fierce temperature. 



1. NOTHING can be more common or frequent than to appeal 

 to the evidence of the senses as the most unerring test of 

 physical effects. It is by the organs of sense, and by these alone 

 that we can acquire any knowledge of the qualities of external 

 objects, and of their mutual effects when brought to act one upon* 

 another, whether mechanically, physically, or chemically, and it. 

 might, therefore, not unreasonably be supposed, that what is 

 called the evidence of the senses must be admitted to be conclu- 

 sive as to all the phenomena developed by such reciprocal- 

 action. 



Nevertheless, the fallacies are numberless into which those are 

 led who take what they consider the immediate results of sen- 

 sible impressions, without submitting them to the severe control 

 and disciplined analysis of the understanding. 



MUSEUM, No. 4. a 81 



