PREFACE

THEHE preface of my work i s~ like a Hebrew book; it begins at its!' very end. Having spent several years in developing this large vo]lume, what is my excuse for thrusting it out upon mankind? N:"Jone at all unless human knowledge and upbuilding canm be enhanced thereby. Am I laboring under a vain delJusion when I assert that no science whatever, excepting pure mathematics, has thus far reached down to basic principles-that in spite of the wonderful achievements of experimental scientists, no definite conceptions of atomic machinery, or the fundamental processes of thermal, electric, chemical, physiological or psychological action have been attained, and that because the correlJations of matter and force haluve been misapprehended? If I am deluded and canno!ll10t depend upon the thousand facts that s!'eem to sustain me and clear up so many mysteries, it is certainly a sad matter, for then no one will be made the w\\iser for my labors; if I am right, and so many scientists~ are wrong in their conceptions of force, then too there is a melJanchol]y side to the question, for great wil1l be the trouble of having to pull up ol]d stakes and put down new ones, and some opinionated persons will be so indignant at having dear old beliefs attacked, that if unable to demolis~h my1I1Y facts in fair l' discussion will present one-sided views of them, or attack the author himself. I hope and pray that I may be duly abused, howev\'er, by all such crystallized conservatives, otherwise it will show that mvy efforts to advan\'~l11cce this great cause of truth have been but feceble. A,-\fter all, if this work shall develop some new and better foundations of scientific truth, scientific men themselves should rejoice at it even if it docs cause a little trouble to adjust themselves to new conditions, for the more truth the:vy get, the more luminous and triumphant will their pathway of progres's become, and they will be able: to bui]ld a superstructure upon these new~~e~ foundations that is far more magnificent than any which mvy own nUilimited efforts could achieve. -

My discovery of the form and constitution of atoms, and their working in connection .. . -

onnec with etherial tlOn W1 t 1 et lena forces to produce: the efkfeccts of heat, cold, electricitvy, mag!!netism chemica]l action ligho'ht color and many other effects, was tna ." u' , b' .,

. ny other effects, was announced during ouOllr centennial year, 1]876, ~~in sSome New York and Chicago papers, and my ideas have been edoug~tbrought to still further maturity since. HZlaving acquired this knowledge]ge, iIt seemed quite possible at last to crystallize the subjects of Light, Color, and other Fine Forces into a science, and learn thei"lr chemical and therapeutical potencies as well as many of their mysti',c relations to physical and psychological action.

Before reaching out into the unknown and invisible, it was imp'''! _ ortant to establish briefly the laws of the known and visible, the misap.: ,_ prehension of which has led scientists into various errors, as it seelllmed ,I to to me, hence my first chapters. Before being able to underst:t and,I Light and Color, with any exactness, it was absolutely necessary to invwestigate the working of atoms, and the general laws of the fine forcesr-,_. :, so that we may not always have to move in the dark when

considering ':': them. Hence my chapter on the Etherio-atomic Philosophy of Force, ". W'Vhatever may be thought of my details of atoms, it seems quite iml,l possible that a thoughtful mind should dispute the correctness of theLir general features, so absolutely capable are they of being demonstratel' d by facts.

It is quite time that the wonderful world of light and color whicit h is invisible to the ordinary eye, and which is capable of being dCI" emonstrated by spectrum analysis and otherwise, should be made known, knOl\ ii. especially as so many mysteries of nature and hunman life are cl1ean,red 1 up thereby, and such marvel]ouns powers of vital and mental control arel :1 revealed.

]I would especiall1y ask one favor of all critics, which is, that they, will examine and w\\'eigh well all departments of the work before they, condemn, for it has cost too much thought and carefunl investigation"11 to have it rudely and hastily passed upon. Comprising, as it does, so-, large a fieleld of heretofore untrodden ground, there certainly must bei some errors in spite of al1 my great care and desire for exact truth.

I have chosen a diluted sky-blue tint for my paper, not only! because it is soothil'ng to the nerves of the eye, but as I s T deem i, hit, handsome. Calendered- white, or yellowish paper is known to be in irritating to the retina.

The beautiful engravings of this work, many of which h;l\av'e the steelc<1 plate finish, have been executed by the sun under the control of thef tIt" Photo-Engraving Co., 07 Park Place, N. Y For the . very careful andn,: conscientious labors of this company I am greatly indebted. The Superintendent, Mr. J. J.C. Moss, was the first, I1 believe, to bring these"" finest solar relief plates into practical use.

T oI owe a word of acknowledgment also to 1\lMr. J o11n John Fahnestock, , 25 R25 Rose St., NK. Y for the colored plates, which for beauty I have notii' seen surpassed on either side of the ocean. ., EmVI::-.J

EDWIN D. BABBITT.

Science Hall, NY