in that vicinity-"About 7 o'clock on that morning as I was about to leave my bed chamber, I was startled by two distinct and very heavy explosions, so that I immediately ran to the window and looked over toward the Shaker village hill, where I knew they were blasting stones to build the great dam in that village, but could see no smoke at all, the sky being clear and the weather beautiful. The noise was so startling as to call the attention of every one about the premises, and various persons in our house (a large farm house) went out of doors, and others to the window, to see what was the matter. The house trembled so as to be noticed by all of us-a family of over twenty people, and more than half were in the house at the time.

"We supposed some powder mill had exploded, but heard during the day that two of the 'Shakers,' Messrs. Calvert and Chase, (two miles from here,) who were out in the field, had their attention drawn to a bright light in the sky, when they saw a meteor, which exploded apparently in the vicinity of Pittstown, and immediately the great report followed. They were looking north, while my window looked south, but I might not have seen the meteor if I had looked north, as the two 'Shakers' were on a high hill, while I was in a valley. [This fully confirms Mr. Ball's account]. "My brother, with three others of our family, was riding in a carriage, on his way to Canaan to meet the cars, at the time of the explosion, and the noise was so great as to excite remarks from all in the carriage, and to make both the horses jump as though frightened. The noise was heard at all the neighboring villages, and resounded through the valleys and hills like very heavy thunder. It was heard at Columbia Hall,' at Lebanon Springs, one and a half miles from here, but not so distinctly as we heard it, as the explosion occurred north of us, and that hotel stands on the south side of a high hill.”

·

From Morristown, Lamoille county, Vermont, twenty-five miles north of Montpelier, Mr. J. M. Chatterton writes, that the meteor was seen at the same time as noticed elsewhere, by himself and others. "The sun was shining brightly at the time, and its course was towards the south." "A Subscriber" writes to the Boston Journal from "Copperas Hill," Strafford, Vt., confirming the accounts from Troy. He says:-"The same phenomenon was witnessed from this place by two gentlemen who were making investigations in the extensive mines of copper, iron, &c., to be found here. At the same hour above mentioned, their attention was suddenly attracted by a very brilliant object descending in a southwesterly direction, and resembling very much one portion of what is called golden rain in a rocket, only many times larger, and followed by a long train of light. Although the sun was shining brightly, still so intense was the brilliancy of this meteor, or whatever it might have been, that it had the appearance of not being over half a mile off, and we were fully expecting to feel the effects of some great explosion; but its distance was so much greater than we had apprehended, that no shock was experienced."

The Albany Evening Journal of Aug. 20th has the following item :"Garritt Vanderpool, a well-known and highly respected farmer, lives seven miles from this city, and one mile west of the Bethlehem church. When at work in his barn, on the morning of the mysterious commotion heretofore referred to, and about two minutes after the noise which had attracted his attention had ceased, he heard what sounded like a small

stone thrown against the side of his carriage-house. On looking up, he saw the object fall, and at once picked it up. It is about the size of a pigeon's egg, broken through the centre; and is partially covered with a black substance. Mr. V. says there is no stone on his farm like it, and is fully persuaded that it is a part of the exploded meteor. Others also think so. It will be examined by competent judges, and the result properly announced."

The above seem conclusively to establish the fact that a meteor of great size passed into our atmosphere on the morning of the 11th of August and exploded with great violence, throwing down stones to the earth. It would even seem possible, from a comparison of these facts, to deduce its mass, velocity and apparent motion.

In this connexion we would recall the familiar bistory of the remarkable meteor which exploded over Weston, Conn., on the morning of December 14th, 1807, as described by Profs. Silliman and Kingsley.* In that case there were three distinct and violent explosions, each followed by a discharge of meteoric stones, specimens of which from each locality were subsequently obtained. Let us hope that a diligent search for the relics of the Troy meteor will be in like manner rewarded, and the results duly reported. [D. A. Wells, Esq., of Troy, N. Y., has kindly sent us most of these facts.-EDS.]

Bibliographical Announcements.

5. Address at the Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Geographical Society (23d May, 1859); by Sir RODERICK IMPEY MURCHISON, G.C.St.S., D.C.L., F.R.S., President. London, Cowles & Sons. 8vo, pp. 132.-This Address is full of interesting notices of the lives and services of illustrious members of the Geographical Society deceased during the year.

6. Elements of Mechanics for the use of Colleges and Academies; by WILLIAM G. PECK, Adjunct Professor of Mathematics, Columbia College. New York. A. S. Barnes & Burr. 12mo. pp. 338. 1859.-This work embraces all the important propositions of elementary mechanics, arranged in logical order and each rigidly demonstrated. It fills an important hiatus in our elementary works and in the hands of a good teacher will be highly esteemed.

7. Annual Report of the Director General of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom; the Museum of Practical Geology, &c. 24 pp. 8vo, with 4 progress maps.-This is the annual report showing the progress made in the several important scientific trusts comprised in the Jermyn St. establishment now under the general direction of Sir R. I. Murchison. 8. Experimental Researches relative to Corroval and Vao; two new varieties of Woorara, the South American Arrow-Poison; by WILLIAM A. HAMMOND, M.D., Assist. Surgeon U. S. Army and S. WEIR MITCHELL, M.D., Philadelphia. Read before the Academy of Nat. Sci. Philad., May 16, 1859. [Brochure, Extracted from the Am. Jour. Med. Sci., July, 1859.] pp. 48.

9. Astronomical and Meteorological Observations made at the Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford, (Eng.) in the year 1857, under the superintendence of MANUEL J. JOHNSON, M.A., Radcliffe Observer. Vol. xviii. Published by order of the Radcliffe Trustees. Oxford, J. and J. Parker. 1859. 8vo. pp. 255 Astronomical, 132 Meteorological. 7 plates.

* Memoirs Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, vol. i, pp. 141 (1810.)

10. FowNES: A manual of Chemistry, &c., edited from the 7th London edition by Dr. ROBERT BRIDGES. Philadelphia, 1859.-The simple announcement of a new edition of this favorite manual is all that is needed to bring it to the notice of students and teachers.

11. The American Gas Light Journal, the representative of Light, Water, and Public Health. J. C. Murray & Co., 40 Wall st., N. York. 4to, monthly.

DAVID DALE OWEN: First Report of a Geological Reconnoissance of the Northern Counties of Arkansas, made during 1857 and 1858, by D. D. Owen, Principal Geologist, assisted by W. Elderhoist, Chem. Assistant, and Edward T. Cox, Assistant Geologist. 8vo. pp. 256. Little Rock, 1859.

Books in Press.

A Manual of Spherical and Practical Astronomy, embracing Nautical Astronomy, and the theory and use of fixed and portable Astronomical Instruments: amply illustrated by engravings on wood and steel. By Prof. WILLIAM CHAUVENET, of the United States Naval Academy. In two royal octavo volumes. Price $7.50. "There exists at present no work on Spherical and Practical Astronomy in the English language, adapted to the wants of the practical astronomer, or even of the advanced University student. While there are many elementary treatises designed as text-books in a collegiate or academic course, some of them admirably adapted for this use, there are none which are intended to carry the student beyond the Elements, and to give him that insight into the general theory and that familiarity with the practical details of the subject which are indispensable to the working astronomer. "Professor Chauvenet, who is well known to the scientific world as an exact investigator and clear expounder of mathematical and astronomical subjects, has undertaken to supply this want. His work will not only be the most complete reference book on this subject that exists in the English language, but will cover the whole ground occupied by the best modern German treatises on both Spherical and Practical Astronomy. The most recent investigations of American as well as European astronomers will be incorporated in the work. All the most useful problems will be fully illustrated by numerical examples, based upon numbers derived from actual observation, and carried out in the forms which appear to be most approved among experienced computers.

The mathematical investigations will be illustrated by wood-cuts in the body of the text, but the most useful astronomical instruments will be exhibited in fine detailed steel engravings. These engravings will be executed in the highest style of the art. The typography will be of corresponding excellence. In short the publishers confidently expect to issue a work which will at once be a valuable contribution to the science of the country and a superior specimen of typographical art.

"The manuscript of the work is already prepared, and it is proposed to commence the mechanical execution as soon as a sufficient number of subscriptions are received to warrant the undertaking. It is hoped that it will be ready for delivery to subscribers before the close of the present year."

Complete Writings of Thomas Say, on the Entomology of the United States. Edited by J. L. LECONTE, Member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. To be published by subscription.

"This Work will consist of 2 vols. 8vo, of about 1100 pages and 55 Plates containing about 175 Figures. Having purchased the original Copper-plates of the "American Entomology," the drawings of which are so universally admired, and the plates being colored from Specimens in the possession of Dr. Le Conte (not copied from the old plates), it is believed that nothing will be wanting in the Illustrations to render them worthy of the praise of naturalists." H. BAILLIERE, publisher, 290 Broadway, New York.

The complete Writings of Thomas Say, on the Conchology of the United States. Edited by W. G. BINNEY, Member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadel phia. This work consists of 252 pages of Text, and 75 Plates containing 323 Figures. "It includes all the descriptions of genera and species ever published by Mr. SAY, and also all his figures. It will therefore be the first and only complete edition of Say's Conchological Writings ever published, and the most extensive work on the general Conchology of the United States, since the greater number of known American species of mollusca were described by him." H. BAILLIERE, Publisher.

THE

AMERICAN

JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS.

[SECOND SERIES.]

ART. XXXIV.-The Correlation of Physical, Chemical and Vital Force, and the Conservation of Force in Vital Phenomena; by JOSEPH LECONTE, Professor of Geol. and Chem. in the South Carolina College, Columbia.

(Read before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at the Springfield Meeting, August, 1859.)

MATTER Constantly changes its form-but is itself indestructible except by the same power which called it into being. The same quantity of matter exists in the universe at all times. So also force changes its form constantly, but is itself indestructible, incapable of increase or diminution, and the same absolute amount of force exists in the universe at all times and forever. The mutual convertibility of the various forms of force is called "correlation of forces." The invariability of the absolute amount in the midst of constant change is called "conservation of force." This principle of correlation and conservation of force must be looked upon as one of the grandest generalizations in modern science, a principle startling at first, but when clearly understood and firinly grasped, almost axiomatic. It must be considered a necessary truth, and as such is a legitimate basis of deductive reasoning.

The correlation of physical forces is universally recognized as a principle in science, and not only so but has already been productive of many beautiful and useful results; but the correlation of physical and vital forces while generally recognized as a

SECOND SERIE*, Vol. XXVIII, No. 84.–NOV., 1859.

probable fact has only been speculated on in a vague and as yet unfruitful manner. The science of life is scarcely yet ripe for the legitimate extension of this principle over its domain. The most elaborate attempt of this kind which I have seen, is contained in the very remarkable and suggestive paper of Dr. Carpenter entitled "mutual relation of physical and vital forces," and published in Phil. Trans. for the year 1850.

In the present paper I wish simply to present a few thoughts, which have originated in my own mind, in the course of reflection on this subject, in the hope that they may prove suggestive to others. They have at least the merit of being uninfluenced by the writings of others-and therefore perhaps of presenting the subject in a somewhat new light. I sincerely wish I could present the matter in a more definite form, but it is certain that where a subject is not perfectly understood, the attempt to give our ideas more definiteness also makes them more questionable. We are obliged to be content with a certain vagueness, in the hope that by the use of right methods a clearness will come after. We must gratefully accept the twilight in the hope that it marks the approach of the full light of day.

There are four planes of material existence which may be regarded as being raised one above the other. The first and lowest is the plane of elementary existence, the second the plane of chemical compounds, or mineral kingdom, third, the plane of vegetable existence and fourth, of animal existence. Now it is apparently impossible for any known force in nature to raise matter through all these grades at once. On the contrary there is a special force adapted for the elevation of matter from each plane to the plane above. It is the special function of chemical affinity to raise matter from plane No. 1 to No. 2. All the changes too which take place upon plane No. 2 by the mutual reactions of bodies situated on that plane, are under the guidance and control of this force. It is the special prerogative of the force of vegetation

of vegetable life, to lift matter from No. 2 to No. 3, i. e., from the condition of mineral matter to the higher condition of vege table matter. All the changes which take place upon this plane, the laws of which constitute vegetable physiology, are under the guidance of this force. Finally, the force of animal life and that alone enjoys the privilege of lifting matter still higher into the 4th plane, i. e., the plane of animal existence. No force in nature can lift from No. 1 to No. 3, or from No. 2 to No. 4. Plants cannot feed entirely upon elementary matter, nor can animals feed upon mineral matter. The reason of this will be seen in the sequel. Thus it seems that after matter is raised from the elementary to the mineral condition, it requires an additional force of another and peculiar kind to raise it into the vegetable kingdom, and again another accession of force to raise it into the animal kingdom. These kingdoms are, there