Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, January 1900: Vol. 56, November, 1899 to April, 1900

In Short

This volume presents a collection of late nineteenth-century scientific essays and dispatches that map the rapid expansion of human knowledge. Ranging from observational astronomy and civil engineering to biology, social movements, and chemical advances, the anthology captures an era of intense empirical investigation. Its contributors explain complex natural phenomena, technological mechanisms, and institutional developments for an educated public. The work retains its value as a vivid, firsthand chronicle of the ideas, debates, and technological breakthroughs that shaped the dawn of the twentieth century.

The Story

The volume opens with a survey of nineteenth-century astronomical achievements, tracing how improved optical instruments expanded the known boundaries of the solar system. The narrative moves from the discovery of hundreds of minor planets between Mars and Jupiter to detailed telescopic analyses of surface features on Mars. It highlights how seasonal shifts affect Martian polar ice-caps and examines theories regarding irrigated vegetation zones along suspected Martian canals. The discussion then shifts to earthbound innovations, detailing the mechanics of high explosives such as gun cotton. Readers are guided through the precise chemical washings, hydraulic pressures, and detonation methods required to stabilize hazardous compounds for military and industrial applications.

The focus expands to cover societal and psychological phenomena. One entry investigates abnormal psychology and criminological theories through the lens of alcohol-induced double personalities, comparing temporary mental aberrations to broader social fanaticism. The physical sciences return to the forefront with an examination of electrical engineering, specifically the operational mechanics of electric trolley cars. The text breaks down the function of armatures, commutators, and field magnets in maintaining continuous electromagnetic pull. This mechanical overview leads into a study of the unseen consequences of urban electrification, explicitly illustrating how stray currents from overhead trolley lines escape into wet, loamy soil and destroy underground iron water pipes through electrolysis.

Cultural and biological inquiries follow. An account of German educational policy details the ongoing institutional resistance to women seeking university degrees and advanced instruction in mathematics and hard sciences. Celestial observation returns in a guide for amateur astronomers, detailing the visual features of Jupiter's belts, Saturn's ring system, and its newly discovered distant satellites. Theoretical controversies are addressed through direct intellectual rebuttals regarding the laws of evolution, cosmic homogeneity, and the conservation of energy.

The volume turns toward field naturalism and human physiology. A study of local fauna contrasts the behavior and venomous apparatus of rattlesnakes with predatory king snakes in the California wilderness. Biological research at the microscopic level illustrates how human white blood cells act as scavengers, using tactile movement to absorb foreign particles and repair tissue. Historical records of volcanic eruptions in the Philippines describe catastrophic mudslides, ash falls, and atmospheric disruptions. Finally, short reports highlight engineering feats like the piercing of the Simplon Tunnel through the Alps, bird migration patterns, and early claims surrounding wireless telegraphy.

How It Unfolds

The survey of the heavens Astronomical progress is mapped through the cataloging of hundreds of asteroids and the construction of massive telescopes. Observers examine the seasonal melting of Martian polar ice and trace dark lines across the planet's surface.

The chemistry of force Industrial processes transform volatile compounds into manageable explosives through rigorous washing, pulping, and hydraulic compression. Safety mantlets and mercury fulminate detonators allow hazardous materials to be deployed predictably.

Mechanics and hidden currents Electric trolley motors utilize wound armatures and segmented commutators to generate continuous movement. However, stray return currents escape the rails, traveling through moist earth to dissolve subterranean cast-iron piping into soft graphite.

Social barriers and biological defense German state institutions restrict young women to basic domestic arithmetic while reform movements push for access to university lectures. In the natural world, white blood cells navigate microscopic fissures to engulf foreign debris and heal physical injuries.

Mountain passes and unseen waves Engineers bore twin passages through Alpine granite to complete the Simplon Tunnel, shortening continental rail travel. Meanwhile, researchers document migratory bird habits and debate early patents for sending telegraphic signals without physical wires.

The People

• Sir Robert Ball: Lowndean Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge, who synthesizes a century of celestial discoveries. He focuses on cataloging asteroids, evaluating Martian canal theories, and utilizing giant refractors like the Yerkes telescope.
• William Baxter, Jr.: A civil engineer who demystifies urban electrical transit. He explains the physical construction of drum armatures, commutators, and insulated coils that propel trolley cars.
• Herr Dr. Bosse: The German Minister of Public Instruction, who maintains state policies limiting women's education to domestic housekeeping mathematics and elementary subjects.
• Old Rattler: A surly, venomous rattlesnake inhabiting the King's River Cañon in California. He represents the wild, unyielding elements of natural history observed in mountain ecosystems.
• Prof. A. E. Dolbear: An American inventor from Tufts College who asserts priority in developing wireless telegraphy systems, citing early patents and successful field transmissions.

In Its Own Voice

"During the summer of Mars ice and snow vanish altogether from the poles of that planet." This observation underscores how late nineteenth-century astronomers sought to map environmental patterns on neighboring worlds using improved optical instruments.

"To produce electrolytic disintegration of pipes, etc., on a scale grand enough to cause apprehension, a bountiful source of electricity is essential." The author points out the unintended civil engineering crisis created by the rapid adoption of urban electric transit systems.

"The generality of the phenomenon results from the leucocyte preserving its phagocytic faculty in all its peregrinations, and these peregrinations are unlimited." This explanation highlights early microscopic discoveries regarding how the body's immune cells actively defend living tissue.

What It's Really About

The collection centers on the systematic drive to observe, measure, and rationalize the natural and artificial world. It explores how technological advancement continuously uncovers hidden phenomena—whether microscopic cellular defense mechanisms, invisible subterranean electric currents, or distant planetary features. Beneath the individual scientific reports lies an implicit argument that human progress depends on rigorous empirical methods over speculative theory. The text addresses the friction between established institutions and emerging realities, showing how traditional frameworks in education, infrastructure, and scientific theory must adapt as new evidence comes to light.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers interested in the history of science, technology, and late Victorian intellectual culture. Reading it feels like opening a clear window into a world on the threshold of modern technical complexity, where electric streetcars, wireless communication, and industrial chemistry were rapidly transforming daily life. The prose is clear, authoritative, and accessible, avoiding jargon in favor of direct explanation.

The primary challenge for a modern reader lies in navigating the vintage framing of certain topics, such as nineteenth-century theories of criminology and social policy, alongside unit measures and technical descriptions of older mechanical systems. What remains compelling, however, is the sheer breadth of curiosity on display. The text captures a moment when science was expanding in every direction, offering a detailed snapshot of how scientists and the public together made sense of a changing world.