21 
at the contemplation of the arts by which such revolution and such 
changes have been accomplished. 
In mathematical science the development has, I think, been found 
equally progressive. We must recollect, in this connection, that 
while planets used to be discovered by accident and by the visual 
inspection of the starry heavens, this age has been celebrated by 
the discovery of a planet purely accomplished by mathematical 
computation. The great planet Neptune bears testimony to the 
accuracy of such mathematical formule, and perhaps it may not be 
too much to say that, as years roll around, other great planets may 
be added to our solar system and the study of the inferior ones will 
become more nearly perfect by the aid of improved telescopes 
and the application of photography, so that we may penetrate into 
the recesses of those planets and perhaps discover that, like our 
own, they are populated by intelligent beings pursuing, according 
to the blessings that may be vouchsafed them, the study of’ what 
they are capable of in the development of their condition ; and 
possibly, if it is not too much a flight of fancy, that the inhabitants 
of the earth may develop some machine or instrument by which 
the gravity of our planet may be overcome and we may go on a 
voyage of discovery to Venus or Mars. 
In medicine, what progress has been made? The old, simple 
methods followed by a physician, when he was called in to attend 
a patient, in endeavoring to ascertain the cause of the disease with 
his imperfect knowledge, reducing inflammation by bleeding, afraid 
to embark upon any capital surgical operation for fear of disastrous 
results, have been replaced with greater knowledge. Now the 
accomplished physician and surgeon steps in and in a very few 
hours or a very few days determines what is the affliction of his 
patient and applies the appropriate remedy for changing the con- 
stitution of the fluids of the body, and, if need be, courageously . 
takes out his knife and extirpates a tumor, dissevers an arm, opens 
the throat or the body and by actual inspection of what is the mat- 
ter lays open the whole case for the application of his remedy, and 
saves perhaps ten lives at the. present day from the inroads of dis- 
ease, where one life was saved at the beginning of our present cen- 
tury. 
In geographical investigation what marvels have the explorations 
of our travelers exhibited? How more and more are we becoming 
familiar with the conditions of uncivilized life, the temperature of 
