Mat 11, 1917] 



SCIENCE 



445 



over the theory of the German geologist von 

 Bueh, known as the ' ' Elevation Crater 

 Theory," which assumed that volcanoes 

 were pushed up in much the same manner 

 as is the cuticle in the formation of a 

 blister upon the body. Like the theory of 

 the Neptunists, this doctrine was over- 

 thrown as soon as inductive methods of ex- 

 amination were applied to it. 



Two doctrines of geology which were des- 

 tined to play a large role in the history of 

 science were developed in France. The 

 "pentagonal network" theory of Elie de 

 Beaumont furnished the age of every range 

 of mountains from the direction of its trend 

 referred to the cardinal points ; while the 

 cataclysmic theory of Cuvier held that the 

 earth's history had been punctuated by 

 great cataclysms resulting in the destruc- 

 tion of all life upon the globe and followed 

 always by a recreation of new faunas and 

 floras. These doctrines, like those emana- 

 ting from Germany, were destined to suc- 

 cumb to the rigid tests of the observational 

 methods. 



The control of scientific theory by the 

 Church whenever it felt that its doctrines 

 had been invaded was, if less formal and 

 direct, none the less potent even as late as 

 the latter half of the nineteenth century. 

 This became apparent so soon as attacks 

 began to be made upon the theory of catas- 

 trophism, for this theory was regarded as 

 harmonizing with the biblical account of 

 the creation. The evidence for the over- 

 throw of this doctrine had been long collect- 

 ing by a group of giants in science which 

 developed in England toward the middle of 

 the nineteenth century and which included 

 Darwin and Huxley, Wallace, Lyell and 

 Hooker. In the field of geology Lyell's 

 theory of uniformitarianism was the coun- 

 terpart of evolution in the organic world. 



The battle was joined in 1859 with the 

 appearance of the ' ' Origin of Species, ' ' and 

 it was fortunate for the scientific world that 



the crisis brought to the front a Huxley 

 who could face "such a storm of wrath and 

 flood of contumely as might have over- 

 whelmed a less resolute and clear-headed 

 champion." Gifted with a clarity of 

 thought and expression and a vigor of utter- 

 ance which are without a parallel in the 

 whole field of science, Huxley had an utter 

 contempt for dishonesty in thinking and 

 little patience with mere metaphysical ab- 

 stractions. To his friend Kingsley in one 

 of the most remarkable of all his writings 

 he says : 



I have champed up all that chaff about the ego 

 and the nou-ego, about nouniena and phenomena, 

 and all the rest of it, too often not to know that 

 in attempting even to think of these questions the 

 human intellect flounders at once out of its depth. 



He correctly gauged the nature of the 

 struggle which was coming and to Darwin 

 he wrote on the appearance of the "Origin 

 of Species": 



I trust you wiU not allow yourself to be in any 

 way disgusted or annoyed by the considerable 

 abuse and misrepresentation which, unless I 

 greatly mistake, is in store for you. Depend upon 

 it, you have earned the lasting gratitude of all 

 thoughtful men. And as to the curs which will 

 bark and yelp, you must recollect that some of 

 your friends, at any rate, are endowed with an 

 amount of combativeness which (though you have 

 often and justly rebuked it) may stand you in 

 good stead. I am sharpening up my claws and 

 beak in readiness. 



It was not long before the stage was set 

 for one of the most dramatic moments in 

 the history of science, for the British Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science was 

 to meet at Oxford in 1860, and it had been 

 given out that the Bishop of Oxford had 

 determined to ' ' smash ' ' Darwin. The meet- 

 ing place in the medieval university build- 

 ing was in consequence crowded to suffoca- 

 tion with even the window ledges occupied 

 by university dons keen for the excitement 

 of the contest. By a mere accident and at 

 the last urgent request of his friends Hux- 

 ley reluctantly agreed to be present, for he 



