August 17,1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
130 
different direction, do not apprehend as such. Of all de¬ 
partments of science, geology seems to me to he the one that 
most depends on this specially-trained“ common sense 
which brings as it were into one focus the light afforded 
by a great variety of studies,—physical and chemical, 
geographical and biological; and throws it on the pages 
of that Great Stone Book, on which the past history of 
our globe is recorded. And whilst astronomy is of all 
sciences that which may be considered as most nearly 
representing Nature as she really is, Geology is that 
which most completely represents her as seen through 
the medium of the interpreting mind; the moaning of 
the phenomena that constitute its data being in almost 
overy instance open to question, and the judgments 
passed upon the same facts being often different according 
to the qualifications of the several j udges. No one who 
has even a general acquaintance with the history of this 
department of science, can fail to see that the geology of 
•each epoch has been the reflection of the minds by which 
its study was then directed ; and that its true progress 
dates from the time when that “common sense” method 
of interpretation came to be generally adopted, which 
consists in seeking the explanation of past changes in the 
Forces at present in operation, instead of invoking the 
aid of extraordinary and mysterious agencies, as the older 
geologists were wont to do, whenever they wanted— 
—like the Ptolemaic astronomers—“to save appear¬ 
ances” The whole tendency of the ever-widening range 
of modern geological inquiry has been to show how little 
reliance can be placed upon the so-called “ Laws ” of 
Stratigraphical and Palaeontological succession, and how 
much allowance has to be made for local conditions. So 
that while the astronomer is constantly enabled to point 
to the fulfilment of his predictions as an evidence of 
the correctness of his method, the geologist is almost 
entirely destitute of any such means of verification. For 
th e value of any prediction that he may hazard—as in 
regard to the existence or non-existence of coal in any 
given area,—depends not only upon the truth of the 
general doctrines of geology in regard to the succession 
of stratified deposits, but still more upon the detailed 
knowledge which he may have acquired of the distribu¬ 
tion of those deposits in the particular locality. Hence 
no reasonably-judging man would discredit either the 
general doctrines or the methods of geology, because the 
prediction proves untrue in such a case as that now about 
to be brought in this neighbourhood to the trial of ex¬ 
perience. 
We have thus considered man’s function as the 
scientific interpreter of nature in two departments of 
natural knowledge; one of which affords an example 
of the strictest, and the other of the freest method, 
which man can employ in constructing his intellectual 
representation of the universe. And as it would be 
found that in the study of all other departments the 
same methods are used, either separately or in combina¬ 
tion, we may pass at once to the other side of our in¬ 
quiry,—namely, the origin of those primary beliefs 
which constitute the groundwork of all scientific rea- 
giadually unfolded and developed, requiring no other 
| experience for their genesis, than that which suffices to 
call these faculties into exercise. But by the advocates 
ot the doctrine which regards experience a 3 the basis of 
ail our knowledge, it is maintained that the primary 
beliefs, of each individual are nothing .else than o- 0n e- 
ralizations which he forms of such experiences as he has 
either himself acquired or has consciously learned from 
others ; and they deny that there is any original or 
intuitive tendency to the formation of such beliefs, 
beyond that which consists in the power of retainin° - 
and generalizing experiences. 
I have not introduced this subject with any idea of 
placing before you even a summary of the ingenious 
arguments by which those opposing doctrines have been 
respectively supported; nor should I have touched on 
the question at all, if T did not believe that a means of 
reconcilement between them can be found in the idea, 
that the intellectual intuitions of any one generation are the 
embodied experiences of the previous race. For, as it appears 
to me, there has been a progressive improvement in the 
| thinking power of man; every product of the culture 
which has preceded serving to prepare the soil for yet 
more abundant harvests in the future. 
Now, as there can be no doubt of the hereditary 
transmission in man of acquired constitutional peculi¬ 
arities, which manifest themselves alike in tendencies 
to bodily and to mental disease, so it seems equally 
certain that acquired mental habitudes often impress them- 
i selves on his organization, with sufficient force and per¬ 
manence to occasion their transmission to the offspring 
as tendencies to similar modes of thought. And thus, while 
I all admit that knowledge cannot thus descend from one 
[generation to another, an increased aptitude for the 
acquirement,, either of knowledge generally, or of some 
particular kind of it, may be thus inherited. These 
tendencies and aptitudes will acquire additional strength, 
expansion, and permanence, in each new generation, 
from their habitual exercise upon the materials supplied 
by a continually enlarged experience; and thus the 
acquired habitudes produced by the intellectual culture 
of ages, will become a “second nature” to every one 
who inherits them.* 
sonmg. 
HP 
The whole fabric of geometry rests upon certain 
axioms which every one accepts as true, but of which it 
is necessary that the truth should be assumed , because 
they are incapable of demonstration. So, too, the de¬ 
liverances of our “ common sense ” derive their trust¬ 
worthiness from what we consider the “ self-evidence ” 
of the propositions affirmed. 
This inquiry brings us face to face with one of the 
great philosophical problems of our day, which has been 
discussed by logicians and metaphysicians of the verv 
highest ability as leaders of opposing schools, with the 
one result of showing how much can be said on each 
side.' By the intuitionalists it is asserted that the ten¬ 
dency to form these primary beliefs is inborn in man, 
an original part of his mental organization ; so that they 
grow up spontaneously in his mind as its faculties are 
* I am glad to be able to append the following extract 
from a letter which Mr. John Mill, the great master of the 
experiential school, was goed enough to write to me a few 
months since, with reference to the attempt I had made to 
place “ common sense ” upon this basis (‘ Contemporary Re¬ 
view,’ Feb. 1872) :—“When states of mind in no respect 
innate or instinctive have been frequently repeated, the mind 
acquires, as is proved by the power of habit, a greatly in¬ 
creased facility of passing into those states; and this in¬ 
creased facility must be owing to some change of a physical 
character in the organic action of the brain. There is also 
considerable evidence that such acquired facilities of passing 
into certain modes of cerebral action can in many cases be 
transmitted, more or less completely, by inheritance. The 
limits of this power of transmission, and the conditions on 
wh:ch it depends, are a subject now fairly before the scientific 
world; and we shall doubtless in time know much more 
about them than we do now. But so far as my imperfect 
knowledge of the subject qualifies me to have an opinion, I 
take much the same view of it that you do, at least in prin¬ 
ciple.” 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘ British 
Medical Journal,’ August 10; the ‘Medical Times and 
Gazette,’ August 10; the ‘ Lancet,’ August 10; the ‘ Medical 
Press and Circular,’August 10; ‘Nature,’ August 10; the 
‘Chemical News,’ August 10; ‘English Mechanic,’ August 
10; ‘ Gardeners”s Chronicle,’ August 10; the ‘Grocer,’ 
August 10; the ‘Journal of the Society of Arts,’ August 10; 
‘ Grocery News,’ August 10; ‘British Journal of Dental 
Science ’ for August; the ‘ Milk Journal ’ for August; 
Longman’s Notes on Books’ for July 31; ‘Florist and 
Tomologist ’ for August; ‘ Practitioner ’ for August; ‘ Edu¬ 
cational Times’ for August; ‘Food, Water, and Air ’ for 
August; the ‘Doctor ’ for August. 
