darwin and modern science-第112节

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Darwin's　activity　during　this　session　led　to　some　rather　alarming　effects　upon　his　health；　and　he　was　induced　to　take　a　holiday　in　Staffordshire　and　the　Isle　of　Wight。　　He　was　not　idle；　however；　for　a　remark　of　his　uncle；　Mr　Wedgwood；　led　him　to　make　those　interesting　observations　on　the　work　done　by　earthworms；　that　resulted　in　his　preparing　a　short　memoir　on　the　subject；　and　this　paper；　〃On　the　Formation　of　Mould〃；　was　read　at　the　Society　on　November　1st；　1837；　being　the　first　of　Darwin's　papers　published　in　full；　it　appeared　in　Vol。　V。　of　the　〃Geological　Transactions〃；　pages　505…510。）

During　this　session；　Darwin　attended　nearly　all　the　Council　meetings；　and　took　such　an　active　part　in　the　work　of　the　Society　that　it　is　not　surprising　to　find　that　he　was　now　requested　to　accept　the　position　of　Secretary。　　After　some　hesitation；　in　which　he　urged　his　inexperience　and　want　of　knowledge　of　foreign　languages；　he　consented　to　accept　the　appointment。　　（〃L。L。〃　I。　page　285。）

At　the　anniversary　meeting　on　February　16th；　1838；　the　Wollaston　Medal　was　given　to　Owen　in　recognition　of　his　services　in　describing　the　fossil　mammals　sent　home　by　Darwin。　　In　his　address；　the　President；　Professor　Whewell；　dwelt　at　length　on　the　great　value　of　the　papers　which　Darwin　had　laid　before　the　Society　during　the　preceding　session。

On　March　7th；　Darwin　read　before　the　Society　the　most　important　perhaps　of　all　his　geological　papers；　〃On　the　Connexion　of　certain　Volcanic　Phenomena　in　South　America；　and　on　the　Formation　of　Mountain…Chains　and　Volcanoes　as　the　effect　of　Continental　Elevations〃。　　In　this　paper　he　boldly　attacked　the　tenets　of　the　Catastrophists。　　It　is　evident　that　Darwin　at　this　time；　taking　advantage　of　the　temporary　improvement　in　his　health；　was　throwing　himself　into　the　breach　of　Uniformitarianism　with　the　greatest　ardour。　　Lyell　wrote　to　Sedgwick　on　April　21st；　1837；　〃Darwin　is　a　glorious　addition　to　any　society　of　geologists；　and　is　working　hard　and　making　way；　both　in　his　book　and　in　our　discussions。〃　　（〃The　Life　and　Letters　of　the　Reverend　Adam　Sedgwick〃；　Vol。　I。　page　484；　Cambridge；　1890。）

We　have　unfortunately　few　records　of　the　animated　debates　which　took　place　at　this　time　between　the　old　and　new　schools　of　geologists。　　I　have　often　heard　Lyell　tell　how　Lockhart　would　bring　down　a　party　of　friends　from　the　Athenaeum　Club　to　Somerset　House　on　Geological　nights；　not；　as　he　carefully　explained；　that　〃he　cared　for　geology；　but　because　he　liked　to　while　the　fellows　fight。〃　　But　it　fortunately　happens　that　a　few　days　after　this　last　of　Darwin's　great　field…days；　at　the　Geological　Society；　Lyell；　in　a　friendly　letter　to　his　father…in…law；　Leonard　Horner；　wrote　a　very　lively　account　of　the　proceedings　while　his　impressions　were　still　fresh；　and　this　gives　us　an　excellent　idea　of　the　character　of　these　discussions。

Neither　Sedgwick　nor　Buckland　were　present　on　this　occasion；　but　we　can　imagine　how　they　would　have　chastised　their　two　〃erring　pupils〃more　in　sorrow　than　in　angerhad　they　been　there。　　Greenough；　too；　was　absent　possibly　unwilling　to　countenance　even　by　his　presence　such　outrageous　doctrines。

Darwin；　after　describing　the　great　earthquakes　which　he　had　experienced　in　South　America；　and　the　evidence　of　their　connection　with　volcanic　outbursts；　proceeded　to　show　that　earthquakes　originated　in　fractures；　gradually　formed　in　the　earth's　crust；　and　were　accompanied　by　movements　of　the　land　on　either　side　of　the　fracture。　　In　conclusion　he　boldly　advanced　the　view　〃that　continental　elevations；　and　the　action　of　volcanoes；　are　phenomena　now　in　progress；　caused　by　some　great　but　slow　change　in　the　interior　of　the　earth；　and；　therefore；　that　it　might　be　anticipated；　that　the　formation　of　mountain　chains　is　likewise　in　progress：　　and　at　a　rate　which　may　be　judged　of　by　either　actions；　but　most　clearly　by　the　growth　of　volcanoes。〃　　（〃Proc。　Geol。　Soc。〃　Vol。　II。　pages　654…60。）

Lyell's　account　（〃Life；　Letters　and　Journals　of　Sir　Charles　Lyell；　Bart。〃；　edited　by　his　sister…in…law；　Mrs　Lyell；　Vol。　II。　pages　40；　41　（Letter　to　Leonard　Horner；　1838）；　2　vols。　　London；　1881。）　of　the　discussion　was　as　follows：　　〃In　support　of　my　heretical　notions；〃　Darwin　〃opened　upon　De　la　Beche；　Phillips　and　others　his　whole　battery　of　the　earthquakes　and　volcanoes　of　the　Andes；　and　argued　that　spaces　at　least　a　thousand　miles　long　were　simultaneously　subject　to　earthquakes　and　volcanic　eruptions；　and　that　the　elevation　of　the　Pampas；　Patagonia；　etc。；　all　depended　on　a　common　cause；　also　that　the　greater　the　contortions　of　strata　in　a　mountain　chain；　the　smaller　must　have　been　each　separate　and　individual　movement　of　that　long　series　which　was　necessary　to　upheave　the　chain。　　Had　they　been　more　violent；　he　contended　that　the　subterraneous　fluid　matter　would　have　gushed　out　and　overflowed；　and　the　strata　would　have　been　blown　up　and　annihilated。　　（It　is　interesting　to　compare　this　with　what　Darwin　wrote　to　Henslow　seven　years　earlier。）　　He　therefore　introduces　a　cooling　of　one　small　underground　injection；　and　then　the　pumping　in　of　other　lava；　or　porphyry；　or　granite；　into　the　previously　consolidated　and　first…formed　mass　of　igneous　rock。　　（Ideas　somewhat　similar　to　this　suggestion　have　recently　been　revived　by　Dr　See　（〃Proc。　Am。　Phil。　Soc。〃　Vol。　XLVII。　1908；　page　262。）。）　　When　he　had　done　his　description　of　the　reiterated　strokes　of　his　volcanic　pump；　De　la　Beche　gave　us　a　long　oration　about　the　impossibility　of　strata　of　the　Alps；　etc。；　remaining　flexible　for　such　a　time　as　they　must　have　done；　if　they　were　to　be　tilted；　convoluted；　or　overturned　by　gradual　small　shoves。　　He　never；　however；　explained　his　theory　of　original　flexibility；　and　therefore　I　am　as　unable　as　ever　to　comprehend　why　flexiblility　is　a　quality　so　limited　in　time。

〃Phillips　then　got　up　and　pronounced　a　panegyric　upon　the　〃Principles　of　Geology〃；　and　although　he　still　differed；　thought　the　actual　cause　doctrine　had　been　so　well　put；　that　it　had　advanced　the　science　and　formed　a　date　or　era；　and　that　for　centuries　the　two　opposite　doctrines　would　divide　geologists；　some　contending　for　greater　pristine　forces；　others　satisfied；　like　Lyell　and　Darwin；　with　the　same　intensity　as　nature　now　employs。

〃Fitton　quizzed　Phillips　a　little　for　the　warmth　of　his　eulogy；　saying　that　he　（Fitton）　and　others；　who　had　Mr　Lyell　always　with　them；　were　in　the　habit　of　admiring　and　quarrelling　with　him　every　day；　as　one　might　do　with　a　sister　or　cousin；　whom　one　would　only　kiss　and　embrace　fervently　after　a　long　absence。　　This　seemed　to　be　Mr　Phillips'　case；　coming　up　occasionally　from　the　provinces。　　Fitton　then　finished　this　drollery　by　charging　me　with　not　having　done　justice　to　Hutton；　who　he　said　was　for　gradual　elevation。

〃I　replied；　that　most　of　the　critics　had　attacked　me　for　overrating　Hutton；　and　that　Playfair　understood　him　as　I　did。

〃Whewell　concluded　by　considering　Hopkins'　mathematical　calculations；　to　which　Darwin　had　often　referred。　　He　also　said　that　we　ought　not　to　try　and　make　out　what　Hutton　would　have　taught　and　thought；　if　he　had　known　the　facts　which　we　now　know。〃

It　may　be　necessary　to　point　out；　in　explanation　of　the　above　narrative；　that　while　it　was　perfectly　clear　from　Hutton's　rather　obscure　and　involved　writings　that　he　advocated　slow　and　gradual　change　on　the　earth's　surface；　his　frequent　references　to　violent　action　and　earthquakes　led　many　including　Playfair；　Lyell　and　Whewellto　believe　that　he　held　the　changes　going　on　in　the　earth's　interior　to　be　of　a　catastrophic　nature。　　Fitton；　however；　maintained　that　Hutton　was　consistently　uniformitarian。　　Before　the　idea　of　the　actual　〃flowing〃　of　solid　bodies　under　intense　pressure　had　been　grasped　by　geologists；　De　la　Beche；　like　Playfair　before　him；　maintained　that　the　bending　and　folding　of　rocks　must　have　been　effected　before　their　complete　consolidation。

In　concluding　his　account　of　this　memorable　discussion；　Lyell　adds：　　〃I　was　much　struck　with　the　different　tone　in　which　my　gradual　causes　was　treated　by　all；　even　including　De　la　Beche；　from　that　which　they　experienced　in　the　same　room　four　years　ago；　when　Buckland；　De　la　Beche（？）；　Sedgwick；　Whewell；　and　some　others　treated　them　with　as　much　ridicule　as　was　consistent　with　politeness　in　my　presence。〃

This　important　paper　was；　in　spite　of　its　theoretical　character；　published　in　full　in　the　〃Transactions　of　the　Geological　Society〃　（Ser。　2；　Vol。　V。　pages　601…630）。　　It　did　not　however　appear　till　1840；　and　possibly　some　changes　may　have　been　made　in　it　during　the　long　interval　between　reading　and　printing。　　During　the　year　1839；　Darwin　continued　his　regular　attendance　at　the　Council　meetings；　but　there　is　no　record　of　any　discussions　in　which　he　may　have　taken　part；　and　he　contributed　no　papers　himself　to　the　Society。　　At　the　beginning　of　1840；　he　was　re…elected　for　the　third　time　as　Secretary；　but　the　results　of　failing　health　are　indicated　by　the　circumstance　that；　only　at　one　meeting　early　in　the　session；　was　he　able　to　attend　the　Council。　　At　the　beginning　of　the　next　session　（Feb。　1841）　Bunbury　succeeded　him　as　Secretary；　Darwin　still　remaining　on　the　Council。　　It　may　be　regarded　as　a　striking　indication　of　the　esteem　in　which　he　was　held　by　his　fe