436 
NATURE 
[ Set. 29, 1870 
belongs to the epoch of Leibnitz, and was deliberately set forth 
by that great philosopher himself. _‘* I donot” (says he) ‘‘under- 
take [in his last correspondence with Dr. S. Clarke] to establish 
my dynamics or my doctrine of forces. This would not be the 
proper place for doing so. However, I can very well reply here 
to the objection that has been made tome. JZ have maintained 
the conservation of active forces in the world, It was objected to 
this, that two soft non-elastic bodies on meeting lose some of their 
force. I answer no, It is true that the masses lose it as to their 
entire movement, but their particles receive it, being internally 
agitated by the force of the meeting. Thus the loss is only in 
appearance. The forces are not lost but only dissipated among 
the small particles. Now this is not to be lost, but to act as 
those do who change a piece of money into small coin.” * Is it 
said that in the above words Leibnitz does not state that one of 
the principal forms of the incident force when dissipated in 
bodies is heat, which is known now to be the fact, or that perhaps 
he did not know that heat was a mode of action at all? the 
answer is, that it was never doubted by any philosopher of that 
epoch that heat is a mode of motion, And in the AZicrographia 
of R. Hooke (see specially Obs. 6, 7, and 8), there is a discus- 
sion of phenomena from this point of view as interesting and as 
accurate as any that is to be found in any modern book. 
But a no less important consideration for science is the decision 
of Sir W. Thomson, Professor B. Stewart, and other physicists 
of this school, that the doctrine of the dissipation of energy is 
co-ordinate with its conservation, and that the destiny of the 
universe is to become its own cemetery! This theory, expressed 
in its most general terms is to the effect that all rectilinear 
motions (locomotion) naturally tend to be transformed into inti- 
mately reciprocating motions (heat) which are naturally irrecover- 
able into their first forms, and which tend to be ultimately so 
distributed that externally universal repose or death must ensue. 
Now, in view of all the experiments that have as yet been made, 
and all the results of equivalent transformations between foot- 
pounds and temperatures which have been cbtained, this is . 
surely a very bold generalisation. It is an inference from what 
man finds in his wor as to what nature must do in her A/ay. 
But there are differences between the two which have not been 
duly considered. Thus to us the concrete state is everything, for 
we are ourselves concretes. We live from moment to moment 
only by condensing and concreting the aeriform. But Nature 
delights in the aeriform. And such is the tendency of 
material elements in general to the aeriform state, as to lead 
legitimately to the inference that the concrete state is a 
forced and a defective state of matter which is possible to the 
material elements only when somewhat of their full complement 
of virtue has gone out of them. As to heat, has not the produc- 
tion of heat in a concrete body expressly for its function to eman- 
cipate the constituent particles more or less, so as to put them in 
the way of gaining the aeriformstate? Are not almost all con- 
cretes at almost all known temperatures continually giving off 
particles into the aeriform state, and that all the more the hotter 
they are? Even ironand clay are not without a smell in a damp 
atmosphere. Adopting then, as is now generally done, the 
aeriform or nebular state as primeval, is not the proper corollary 
of the doctrine of the conservation of foree—not the reduction of 
the system to a dead mass, but its restoration to a fully aeriform 
nebular or cetherial state, with new fitness for producing all those 
phenomena which the nebular hypothesis supposes? Would not 
such be the issue supposing the cosmical action to be all in one 
direction? And if that action be not, as we see it is not, all in 
one direction, but in two reciprocal directions, is not the corollary 
of the doctrine of the conservation of force to the effect that in 
its general features the mundane system shall remain as it is ? 
As to the sun to which we in this planet owe everything, since 
there is no actual evidence that his action upon us now is less 
powerful than it ever was, would it not be well, instead of being 
so much concerned in producing fuel for him (with such indifferent 
success), rather to take into consideration Dr. Clarke Maxwell’s 
formulz in physical optics, which lead to the conception that the 
solar radiation is an electro-magnetic action? If so, then the 
sun would be always receiving as much as he was giving, and 
would not be wasting his energy save on the dissimilar bodies 
(the planets) which circle round him, With respect to the 
celestial spaces in general he may possibly be insulated in the 
zether by his own heat like a drop of water in the spheroidal 
state. Meantime the 22nd of December may bring us some dis- 
covery as to his structure. J. G. M. 
* See ‘A Sketch of a Philosophy,” part I. p. 2. (Williams and Norgate.) 
NOTES 
THE foundation stone of the new building for Owens College, 
Manchester, was laid on the site which has been purchased in 
Oxford Street on Friday last. The ceremony was performed 
by the Duke of Devonshire, K.G.* The building has been de- 
signed by Mr. Waterhouse, the architect of the Manchester 
Assize Courts and of the new Town-hall. The style of the 
building is Gothic. It will have accommodation for 600 day 
students, and for a,much larger number of evening students. 
A sum of 102,000/. has been placed at the disposal of the build- 
ing committee, 67,000/. of which is at present available for the 
erection of the college. The cost of the building is 90,000/., 
so that a sum of from 25,000/. to 30,000/, is still required for 
building purposes. 
WE greatly regret to have received intelligence of the death 
at Geneva, on the 18th inst., of Dr. Augustus Waller, F.R.S. 
Dr. Waller held a high place among those physiologists who 
have enriched their science by original research. He is best 
known for his important contributions to the physiology of the 
nervous system, and especially for the introduction of a new 
method of investigation applicable to various important objects 
of neurological inquiry, which, not only as used by himself, but 
in the hands of others, has tended materially to advance the 
knowledge of that department. We owe also to Dr. Waller 
original and yaluable observations on various other physiological 
questions. In acknowledgment of his scientific labours he twice 
received the Monthyon Prize of the French Academy of Sciences, 
first in 1852 for a research, in which he was assisted by Prof. 
Budge, of Bonn, and again in 1856 for experiments, exclusively 
his own, showing an important relation between the nutrition of 
nerye-fibres and their connection with nervous centres. For these 
and other researches in Experimental Physiology the Royal 
Society awarded him one of the royal medals for 1860. Dr. 
Waller began professional life as a general practitioner in Ken- 
sington, but his growing passion for original inquiry in science 
led him to devote himself to it entirely, and with the exception 
of a short time that he was Professor of Physiology in Queen’s 
College, Birmingham, he resided abroad, and enjoyed the intimacy 
of the most celebrated Continental physiologists, who thoroughly 
appreciated his merits. Latterly he went to reside at Geneva, 
and commenced practice as a physician, still, however, con- 
tinuing his physiological pursuits, He died quite suddenly in a 
fit of Angina pectoris, to which complaint he had been for some 
time subject. 
WE are able to state that the Quarterly Journal of Science has 
passed into the hands of Mr. W. Crookes, F.R.S., who will from 
the present time be sole proprietor and editor. 
Tue American Science Association met at Troy, N.Y., on 
August the 17th. Professors Agassiz, Dana, and Henry were 
unavoidably absent. Papers on subjects of scientific interest 
were read by Professors Stimsow of Boston, Winchell of Michi- 
gan, Orton of Vassar, Bradley of Jersey City, and many others. 
In addition to the professorial chairs already instituted at 
the University of Otago, New Zealand, the council of that Uni- 
versity have now resolved to institute a chair of natural science, 
the salary of which will be 600/, per annum, besides class fees, 
&c., commencing to run from the day of embarkation. No 
religious test will be required of candidates. 
THE programme of the lectures of the Birmingham and Mid- 
land Institute for the forthcoming session include a large pro- 
portion of a scientific character, as will be seen from the following 
list :—1870. October 3 and 10, ‘‘ The Movements of Gases,” 
by Professor Odling. - October 17 and 24, ‘‘ Extinct Animals 
intermediate between Reptiles and Birds,” by Professor Huxley, 
October 31 and November 7, ‘‘ Erasmus Darwin and Anna 
Seward, their Works and their Friends,” by George Dawson. 
December 5, ‘‘ The Lost Tribes of Tasmania,” by James Bon- 
ante eee 
