CHAPTER XVIII.

SCIENCES.

Distribution of human Knowledge under three heads-Union of Astrology with Medicine-Scheme of Physics-Same as in Europe formerly-Practice of Medicine-Use of the Moxa, or Cautery-Ignorance of native Doctors-Introduction of Vaccination by Mr. Pearson- Chemical PracticeMercurial Preparations - Science of Numbers-Geometry-Geography -Astronomy-Of Hindoos and Chinese compared-Lunar Year, and Cycle of Sixty Years- Almanac - - Mechanics and Machinery-Architecture.

THE Chinese profess to make a general distribution of human knowledge under the three heads of "Heaven, Earth, and Man," and this may appear to some readers to be not altogether unlike the three-fold division proposed by Lord Bacon, of "God, Nature, and Man." A well-known encyclopædia, in sixty-four volumes, called San-tsae-too-hoey, which dates about the end of the sixteenth century, consists of wood-cuts, illustrated by letter-press, in the three departments above stated. This work, however, having been the compilation of one person only, and consisting chiefly of plates, is superficial even for the Chinese, and does not contain a full account of their science such as it is. The character of the book may be partly gathered from the following account of its contents and method of arrangement. Under the head of Heaven, of course comes astronomy, and this includes something of what was learned from

the Arabians and Europeans. The department of Earth includes principally their imperfect notions of geography. The third division, that of Man, is by far the most copious. It contains representations of persons famous in history, and of different tribes of men. Then is introduced the subject of the Chinese cycle (which rather belongs to the first department), and of the numerical combinations of Fo-hy. Next come buildings; furniture; implements used in husbandry, manufactures, and the arts of peace; arms and warlike weapons; wood-cuts in anatomy; costumes; games of skill; specimens of ancient inscriptions; botany and natural history, as applicable to medicine; active sports and exercises; specimens of coins and money.

The actual state of the sciences in China may perhaps be ranked with their condition in Europe, some time previous to the adoption of the inductive method in philosophy. The constitutional ingenuity and industry of the people has led them to fall upon various practical results, in spite, as it would seem, of a feature in their character and habits which is opposed to the progress of knowledge. They profess to set no value on abstract science, apart from some obvious and immediate end of utility. Among ourselves, the practical application of scientific discoveries is sometimes long subsequent to the discoveries themselves, which might perhaps never have been made, had not science been followed up through its byepaths for its own sake merely, or with a very remote view to utility in practice. The Chinese always estimate such matters by their immediate and apparent cui bono. Dr. Abel relates, that after satisfying a mandarin in reply to his questions concerning some of our useful

manufactures, he took occasion to mention that we had metals, which on coming in contact with water burst into flame. "I had some potassium with me (he adds), and was desirous of showing its properties to him. He immediately inquired concerning its uses, and, when these could not be very satisfactorily explained to him, looked too contemptuously to induce me to venture an experiment." And yet this discovery of the metallic base of potash was one result of the investigations of Sir Humphry Davy, whose practical applications of his scientific discoveries, to useful and beneficial purposes, were of such inestimable value and importance.

A surprising enumeration might be made of instances in which the Chinese appear to have stumbled by mere chance upon useful inventions, without the previous possession of any scientific clue. Cases, however, occur in which it may be fairly suspected that they wereindebted to the European missionaries. Without know. ing anything, for instance, of that theory of optics which treats of the convergence and divergence of rays of light by lenses of different shapes, they use both convex and concave glasses, or rather crystals, to assist their sight. We noticed in the last chapter that they possess glass in a very coarse and inferior state, and that at Canton they sometimes melt down broken glass from Europe. In spectacles, however, the want is supplied, all over the empire, by the use of rock-crystal. This is ground with the powder of corundum; and if anything could prove the Chinese spectacles to be original inventions, or not borrowed from Europe, it would be their very singular size and shape, as well as the strange way of putting them on. The annexed cut represents a pair of these primitive optics, slung over the ears with silken strings

and weights, and imparting by their immense size a most sapient appearance to the wearer.

For checking the glare of the sun, they make use of a mineral which they call Cha-she, or "tea-stone," from the resemblance of its transparent hue to a weak infusion of black tea. This, in all probability, is a smoky quartz, or silex allied to the cairngoram of Scotland. In some instances the Chinese have been known to attempt slavish copies of European telescopes; but a little science became requisite in the construction of instruments consisting of compound lenses, and they accordingly failed. When, however, a few specimens of Sir David Brewster's optical toy, the kaleidoscope, first reached Canton, these were easily imitated. The Chinese became exceedingly taken with them; vast numbers were immediately manufactured on the spot, and sent up the country, under the

appropriate name of Wân-huâ-tung, or tubes of ten

thousand flowers."

The jargon employed in their pseudo-science, and the singular resemblance which this bears to the condition of physical knowledge, not very long ago, even in our own country, is deserving of some remark. It is pretty generally known that, within a comparatively recent period of our history, the sciences of medicine and astrology were very gravely combined. A rather handsome monument in Mortlake churchyard, dated as late as 1715, bears a Latin inscription to the memory of "John Partridge, Astrologer and Doctor of Medicine, who made physic for two kings and one queen, to wit, Charles II., William III., and Queen Mary." It was the deplorable condition of the healing art, about or a little before that period, in France, also, that exposed it to the unmerciful ridicule of Molière. It is likely that most readers may not have fallen in with a thick quarto volume, dated 1647, and entitled "A modest Treatise of Astrologie, by William Lilly*.' The work is dedicated to Bolstrod Whitlock, Esq., Member of Parliament, and among other matter

* The person ridiculed by Butler under the name of Sidrophel, who is made to defend his art in the following convincing

manner:

"Is it not ominous in all countries

When crows and ravens croak upón trees?

The Roman senate, when within

The city walls an owl was seen,

Did cause their clergy, with lustrations,

(By'r synod call'd humiliations,)

The round-faced prodigy t'avert

From doing town and country hurt:

And if an owl have so much power,

Why should not planets have much more?" &c.