"In knowledge, that man only is to be contemned and despised who isnot in a state of transition."
"—nor is there anything more adverse to accuracy than fixity ofopinion."—Faraday.
"Science must grow. Its development is as necessary, and asirresistible as the motion of the tides, or the flowing of the GulfStream."—Tyndall.
"The cry of science is still onward, and its goal of yesterday willever be its starting-point to-morrow."—Dawson.
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"Show me a man who makes no mistakes, and I will show you a man whohas done nothing."—Liebig.
In this little volume the author gives but his own personal opinionsupon the subjects discussed, and although the sentiments are expressedwith an assurance born of conviction, yet he claims not infallibility.
He has ever been unable to accept the usual explanations of the greatphysical forces; and the inadequacies of mooted theories have impelledhim to efforts for more philosophical interpretations. If in hisinvestigations he has been forced to strange and unusual conclusions, hehas been actuated only by an honest desire to promote the advancement ofscience.
He is not insensible to the responsibility of the position which he thusvoluntarily assumes, in asserting his opinions upon problems so vast andmomentous.
It is no enviable position to occupy, that of[Pg viii]antagonism to so large a proportion of the scientific world and, too,upon subjects of strictly scientific import. That he does thus findhimself placed in such relations at the present time, has not been amatter of his own seeking. No other consideration than the profoundestsense of duty and responsibility could have influenced him in the coursepursued. Perhaps some apology is yet due for so boldly trespassing uponhypotheses which were very generally thought to be well established, andcertainly secure from such treatment.
The attempt, in a measure, to develop so extended a field of research,in so few pages, has led to much crudeness in the presentation. For thisa reasonable indulgence may be c