K^NS^S CITY 



Review of Science and Industry, 



A MONTH-LY RECORD OF PROGRESS IN 



SCIENCE, MECHANIC ARTS AND LITERATURE. 



VOL. VIIL SEPTEMBER, 1884. NO. 5. 



PHYSICS. 



THE FORCES OF INORGANIC NATURE— SOME NEW PHILOSOPHY, 



REV. JAMES W. HANNA. 



Some years ago the writer left college armed with a bundle of diplomas, 

 pleased especially with what he knew of science. With Espy's theory of meteor- 

 ology in his cranium, he began making observations for himself. The result was 

 that he soon discarded most that passed for science m meteorology. He con- 

 cluded also that the causes of heat and cold were but pardy understood. Frosts 

 in June and thaws in January were caused by something that our philosophy 

 knew little of. Indian Summer next became a study, — then the nature of heat, 

 and the forces of organic and inorganic nature. The method was to study well 

 the books, but to get behind the books, and ask Nature if certain things were so. 

 An assortment was made of things established, and of things assumed; plausible 

 theories were scrutinized, and the iconoclastic spirit was allowed full play. 

 The result was I became a scientific doubter. Or, rather, a doubter of much of 

 the theories of the scientists. I will not shock the reader by a full disclosure 

 here. And in this article I will as much as possible avoid antagonizing him. 

 My debate against old theories, which would make quite a chapter, may lie with 

 the rubbish. This articl* is devoted to bringing in some of the new. 



The first great point reached, and which after careful study, was fixed and be- 

 came a rallying point was this : All the attractive forces of inorganic nature are one. 

 That is to say, gravitation, cohesian, adhesion, capillary attraction, chemical affinity, 



VIII— 15 



