i 882.] 
French Reactionism in Science. 
587 
passage over the earth it strikes against the leaves of an 
edible plant ; the sun is shining, and the molecule of car- 
bonic acid gas is absorbed by one of the leaves of the plant ; 
the carbon is retained, and the oxygen is given off again. 
The carbon becomes a portion of the substance of the plant. 
It has changed its conditionfrombeinga portionof apoisonous 
gas to be nutriment for man or animals. From being a portion 
of dead matter it becomes a portion of living matter. The 
gardener takes the plant, cooks and eats it ; by-and-bye it 
is converted into blood, and is then in a condition to have 
its latent forces developed. It can become a portion of a 
muscle, and possess atomic, organic, and animal viva, and 
be a portion of a living body. It can become a portion of 
the brain, and produce thoughts — violent, demoniac, or sub- 
lime — at its own caprice. In this condition it possesses all 
the four forces in a state of activity. When it has produced 
these effects it again becomes carbonic acid gas, and finds 
its way into the outer world to be tossed hither and thither 
at the mercy of the winds. 
This same molecule of carbonic acid gas may go through 
this endless change from century to century. 
New forces must of necessity develop, and become latent, 
in the molecule in passing and re-passing through this end- 
less variety of changes. 
V. FRENCH REACTIONISM IN SCIENCE. 
t T might not unnaturally be supposed that in nations, as 
well as in individuals, the leading traits of character 
would be equally manifested in all departments of 
activity. We might, a priori , expert that persons bold and 
energetic in outward matters would display the same 
features in the realms of thought. This is not so. Dr. 
Beard has shown, in a work touched upon in our issue for 
last month, that two nations, physically and morally 
courageous, are intellectually timid. A similar, and perhaps 
even more striking, case of national inconsistency requires 
our present notice. 
2 Q 2 
