360 
our knowledge of natural things and phe- 
nomena on the same assumption. 
It will be recognized that whatever there 
may be of novelty in the above first principles 
is found in the combination rather than in 
any one element. 
Finally I concede with the eminent philoso- 
phers of long ago that an idea of the real 
nature of “action at a distance” without any 
intervening medium is inconceivable to the 
human mind (my human mind—they no doubt 
likewise meant theirs) and especially so is the 
suggestion that an impulse which requires 
time for transmission from one body to an- 
other may have left the one and be on the 
way to the other—in a state of detachment 
between—with nothing but empty space along 
the road. (It is probable that the “velocity 
of light” as a physical constant is the same 
as the velocity of transmission of a gravita- 
tional impulse or change from one body of 
matter to another, or at least that there is 
some very direct relation beween the two.) 
Here however is the parting of the ways. I 
have faith that it will some day be accepted 
that this inconceivableness is attributable, not 
to the fact that the suggestion is incompatible 
with the real workings of nature, but to the 
limitations in the powers of human compre- 
hension. 
If it can be accepted that “philosophy” is 
only a shorter term for peace of mind arrived 
at or approximated to after long pondering, 
then the above may be set down as a sort of 
personal philosophy of the writer’s. 
And the path of future progress? We are 
apt to regard the human intellect of our period 
as already in a stage of its development which 
may be called maturity, but this is not at all 
certain. If something like a curve is plotted 
to indicate the mental status of man at differ- 
ent periods or “ages”—the primitive state, 
the stone age, the bronze age, the age of iron, 
ete., its general shape will indicate whether the 
present is the age of finality in this respect. 
There was just as much reason for regarding 
any one of the previous ages as a culmination 
as there is for assuming that we are now on 
an ultimate crest of the curve of human 
SCIENCE 
[N. S. Vou. XLVIII. No. 1241 
powers of understanding. In fact if we con- 
sider the varying rate of change in direction 
of such a curve, or the rate of its departure 
from a base line of zero intelligence, there is 
less ground for thinking our present mental 
capacity ig at a maximum than there was for 
such a belief at any previous age or period. 
Let us therefore “play” that there 7s an 
ether, with all its seemingly necessary though 
improbable attributes, and go ahead with our 
observations, experiments, studies and re- 
searches until the mind of man, now possibly 
only in the juvenile or youthful stage of its 
growth, may have so far advanced towards 
maturity as to be able to put aside this ele- 
mentary conception and to substitute some- 
thing more grown up. Meanwhile let us not 
lose sight of this all-important coordinate part 
of the program for advancing—the develop- 
ment of the human mind in capacity for com- 
prehension so it can assimilate and interpret 
the facts as they accumulate and keep pace 
with the general progress. The super intelli- 
gence capable of fully comprehending all na- 
ture will doubtless always remain a limiting 
ideal—something to be eternally striven for, 
to be approached all the while more nearly, 
but forever unattainable. 
Joun Mitis 
210 Postorrice BUILDING, 
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 
SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 
MANGANESE ORE IN GEORGIA 
As manganese is urgently needed in the war 
several geologists of the United States Geolog- 
ical Survey, Department of the Interior, have 
been making systematic examinations of areas 
that are believed to contain deposits of man- 
ganese and manganiferous ores in the United 
States and the West Indies, in order to ap- 
praise our available resources of manganese 
and to assist in stimulating its production and 
use. 
Manganese is a metal resembling iron. It is 
used principally in the manufacture of steel, 
to which it is added in the form of alloys with 
iron, such as ferromanganese and spiegeleisen. 
It is used also in glassmaking, in many chem- 
