INDUCTIVE PHILOSOPHY NOT UNDERSTOOD.
Ignorance of inductive philosophy has given rise to many superstitions.
By the means of inductive philosophy, we are enabled to trace effects
to their true causes. For example: Lights have frequently been seen
dancing over marshy grounds, near tan-yards, and burying-places, and
along the sea shore. Credulous people have believed them to be the
spirits of the uneasy dead. This belief must be considered
superstitious, not having any foundation on rational evidence.
Philosophy teaches that these lights are occasioned by an inflammable
gas, which arises from decayed animal and vegetable substances, and
takes fire on coming in contact with atmospheric air. Thus we may trace
all effects to their true causes.
Many persons have supposed that pork killed in the increase of the moon
would swell in boiling, while that killed in her wane would shrink.
This opinion probably originated in the following manner: Some person
killed, at different periods of the moon, two hogs which had been born
and fattened together. That killed in her increase swelled in boiling;
while the other, killed in her wane, shrunk. He could conceive of no
way to account for the facts but on the supposition of lunar influence.
This conclusion was accordingly adopted, and at length became an
established truth. Yet there was no philosophy in forming this opinion
from a few such facts. More experiments should have been tried; and
they results would have shown that the real cause of the swelling and
shrinking existed in the constitution of the animals. It would have
been discovered that pork of fine and solid texture would commonly
swell, whenever killed; while that of loose and coarse grain would as
generally shrink. And the person would no more have thought of
attributing the difference in his pork to the moon than to the spirit
of Bonaparte.
Let this philosophic principle be applied to this whole class of
superstitions, and we shall arrive at similar results. There is the
supposed influence of the moon on making soap, grafting trees, cutting
timber, and also upon the fortunes of love-sick swains and maidens. The
latter are directed to go out in the evening and stand over the bars of
a gate, and, looking on the moon, repeat the following lines:--
"All hail to the moon! all hail to thee!
I pray thee, good moon, reveal to me,
This night, who my husband shall be."
They must then go directly to bed, and will dream of their future
husband. Upon trial of the experiment, they will probably be inclined
to consider it a dreamy notion altogether; for love is of too serious a
nature to be fed upon mere _moonshine_.