THE TECHNOLOGIST. [August 1, 1864. 



4 ON THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES WHICH FORM 



which the experimenter has rubbed with a natural loadstone, becomes a 

 compass-needle, and deserves its name, by threading the mariner's way 

 through all the labyrinths of the sea. " The wind," said King Solomon, 

 the greatest naturalist of his time, " goeth toward the south, and turneth 

 about unto the north : it whirleth about continually : and the wind 

 returneth according to his circuits." And the sailors of the ships of 

 Tarshish had, like our sailors, their wind-vane and streamers, their 

 anemoscopes and anemometers, though they did not so name them, to 

 tell from what quarter, and with what force the wind blew. The com- 

 plex and beautiful art of navigation abounds in examples of what I have 

 called Kegistrative Science. The night-glass, the sextant, the thermo- 

 meter, the barometer, the sympiesometer, as well as the compass-needle 

 and the simple wind-vane, by the indications of which the sailor makes 

 his ship go straight, as if on a railway, to the desired haven, are indus- 

 trial instruments of the highest value. No one will doubt this who 

 visits any of our fishing towns during the herring season, when the boat3 

 are at sea, and observes how the straining eyes of loving mothers and 

 wives are fixed on the weathercock, and those of faithful fathers and 

 brothers on the doubtful barometer. Here natural phenomena are not 

 merely analysed into greater simplicity, which is the function of obser- 

 vational science ; neither are they interfered with, which is the function 

 of transformational science ; but they are made, as it were, to prolong 

 their existence till not merely the speculative philosopher, but also the 

 busy workman, has been roused to their presence, and has had opportu- 

 nity to profit by their warning. We hold, as we may say, the key down, 

 and let the steam-whistle scream till all have heard the ominous note ; 

 we keep the signal Hying that all may see that the wind has changed, 

 and the fleet is weighing anchor. This cannot be clone without instru- 

 ments, which, if possible, should be automatic or self-acting ; and such 

 instruments are the fruit only of much and varied experimental trial ; 

 yet the experiments, as something more than observational, and as in no 

 respect transformational, stand apart, and may, till a more distinctive 

 place is found for them, be ranged under Uegistrative Science. 



A third most important service Avhich observational science renders 

 Industrialism, is by discovering natural powers, forces, or energies, which 

 in their spontaneous action work both good and ill to man ; but when 

 disciplined and controlled by what I have proposed to call directive 

 science, become his imreluctant slaves and willing workmen. 



Thus, meteorology reveals to us the laws according to which great 

 currents are occasioned in the atmosphere ; and then mechanics builds 

 its windmill, and the most impatient breeze that tries to hurry past must 

 stop, and, like a chained slave, take its turn at grinding corn or drawing 

 water. " The wind," said He who spake as never man spake, " bloweth 

 where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell 

 whence it cometh, and whither it goeth ;" but provided only it do not 

 ceasts to blow, the mariner can turn Ms sail one way, and set his rudder 



