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  THE

  REASON WHY:

  A CAREFUL

  COLLECTION OF MANY HUNDREDS OF REASONS FOR THINGS WHICH, THOUGH
  GENERALLY BELIEVED, ARE IMPERFECTLY UNDERSTOOD.

  A BOOK OF CONDENSED SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE FOR THE MILLION.

  By THE AUTHOR OF "INQUIRE WITHIN."

  This collection of useful information on "Common Things" is put in
  the interesting form of "Why and Because," and comprehends a familiar
  explanation of many subjects which occupy a large space in the
  philosophy of Nature, relating to air, animals, atmosphere, caloric,
  chemistry, ventilation, materia medica, meteorology, acoustics,
  electricity, light, zoölogy, etc.

  NEW YORK:

  DICK & FITZGERALD, PUBLISHERS,

  No. 18 ANN STREET.




PREFACE.


We are all children of one Father, whose Works it should be our delight
to study. As the intelligent child, standing by his parent's knee,
asks explanations alike of the most simple phenomena, and of the most
profound problems; so should man, turning to his Creator, continually
ask for knowledge. Not because the profession of letters has, in these
days, become a fashion, and that the man of general proficiency can
best work out his success in worldly pursuits; but because knowledge is
a treasure which gladdens the heart, dignifies the mind, and ennobles
the soul.

The occupation of the mind, by the pursuit of knowledge, is of itself
a good, since it diverts from evil, and by elevating and refining the
mind, and strengthening the judgment, it fortifies us for the hour of
temptation, and surrounds us with barriers which the powers of sin
cannot successfully assail.

It is not contended that the mere acquisition of knowledge will either
ensure a good moral nature, or convey religious truth. But both
religion and morals will find in the diffusion of knowledge a ground
work upon which their loftier temples may discover an acceptable
foundation.

The man who comprehends the order of Nature, and the immutability
of Divine law, must of necessity bring himself in some degree into
accordance with that order, and under submission to the law: hence the
_tendency_ of knowledge will always be found to harmonise the fragment
with the mass, and to subvert the evil to the good.

The troubles of the world have arisen from the want of knowledge,
not from the possession of it. And in proportion as man becomes an
intelligent and reflective being, he will be a better creature in all
the relations of life. If these benefits, vast and incalculable as they
are, be the real tendency and result of knowledge, why is ignorance
allowed to remain, and why is the world still distracted by error?

It is because the moral and intellectual qualities of man are, like all
creations and gifts of God, the subjects of development, whose law is
progression.

We can aid human improvement, but we cannot unduly hasten it. Whenever
man has sprung too rapidly to a conclusion, he has alighted upon error,
and has had to retrace his steps.

The greatest philosophers have been those who have clung to the
demonstrative sciences, and have held that a simple truth well
ascertained, is greater than the grandest theory founded upon
questionable premises. Newton made more scientific revelations to
mankind than any other philosopher; and his discoveries have borne the
searching test of time, because he snatched at nothing, leaped over
no chasm to establish a favourite dogma; but, by the slowest steps,
and by regarding the merest trifles, as well as the highest phenomena,
he learnt to read Nature correctly. He discovered that her atoms were
letters, her blades of grass were words, her phenomena were sentences,
and her complete volume a grand poem, teaching on every page the wisdom
and the power of an Almighty Creator.

When he observed an apple fall to the ground, he asked the "Reason
Why;" and in answer to that enquiry, there came one of the grandest
discoveries that has ever been recorded upon the book of science. With
that discovery a flood of light burst upon the human mind, illustrating
in a far higher degree than had ever previously been conceived, the
vastness of Almighty Power.

Why should not each of us enquire the "Reason Why" regarding everything
that we observe? Why should we mentally _grope_ about, when we may
_see_ our way? When addressed in a foreign tongue, we hear a number
of articulated sounds, to which we can attach no meaning; they convey
nothing to the mind, make no impression upon the in-dwelling soul.
When those sounds are interpreted to us, in a language that we can
understand, they impart impressions of joy, hope, surprise, or sorrow,
because the words convey to us _a meaning_. In like manner, if we fail
to understand Nature, its beauties, its teachings are lost. Everything
speaks to us, but we do not understand the voices. They come murmuring
from the brook, trilling from the bird, or pealing from the thunder;
but though they reach the ear of the body, they do not impress the
listening spirit.

Every flower, every ray of light, every drop of dew, each flake of
snow, the curling smoke, the lowering cloud, the bright sun, the pale
moon, the twinkling stars, speak to us in eloquent language of the
great Hand that made them. But millions lose the grand lesson which
Nature teaches, because they can attach no meaning to what they see or
hear.

"THE REASON WHY" is offered as an interpreter of many of Nature's
utterances. Great care has been taken that these interpretations may
be consistent with the latest knowledge, obtained from the highest
sources. If the author finds that his work if accepted for the good of
those who seek not only to know, but to _understand_, he will make it
his constant care to read the Book of Nature, and to add to the pages
of this volume whatever interpretations the progress of enquiry and
discovery may demand and supply.




INDEX, AND INDEX LESSONS.

[Pointing hand symbol] _The numbers refer to the Questions. The Index
Lessons do not correspond with the Chapters, but are designed to bring
together in their alphabetical connection, all the Questions and
Answers upon each particular subject included in the work._


  LESSON I.

  Acids, vegetable, whence are they obtained, 1256

  Actinism, what is it, 552

  Actinism, what effect has it upon vegetation, 559

  Actinism, at what season of the year is it most abundant, 560

  ærial spectra, what is the cause of, 527

  Affinity, what is the attraction of, 777

  Air, why do we breathe it, 4

  Air, what is the composition of it, 12

  Air, what is its state after it has been breathed, 13

  Air, is that sent from the lungs light or heavy, 14

  Air, is it a good or bad conductor of heat, 150

  Air, why is a still summer said to be sultry, 171

  Air, why does it feel cooler when in motion, than when still, 175


  LESSON II.

  Air, when is it hot enough to destroy life, 179

  Air, why is it often excessively hot in chalk districts, 219

  Air, is it heated directly by the sun's rays, 221

  Air, why does it ascend the chimney, 240

  Air, why does it fly through the doors and windows towards the
    fire-place, 241

  Air, what does the motion of it in our rooms illustrate, 242

  Air, why does it become charged with watery vapour, 346

  Air, when is it said to be saturated with vapour, 430

  Air, what proportion of water is air capable of holding in the form of
    vapour, 431

  Air, what is its weight relative to that of water, 647


  LESSON III.

  Air, which is heavier, dry or vaporised, 697

  Air-pistol (or pop-gun), why does pressure applied to the handle propel
  the cork, 854

  Air-pistol, why must the handle be drawn out before the cork is placed
    in, 855

  Air, why does fresh impart a healthy appearance, 915

  Albumen, what is it, 899

  Alkalies, what are they, 36

  Amber, or electrum, what is it, 564

  Animals, how is their greater warmth in winter provided for, 168

  Animal forms, why are there so many, 1029

  Animal furs, why do they become thicker in the winter, 1035

  Animals, why have carnivorous, long pointed teeth, 1038


  LESSON IV.

  Animals with long necks, why have they large throats, 1049

  Animals, why cannot flesh-eaters live upon vegetables, 1071

  Animals, why can ruminating recover the food from their paunches, 1089

  Animals, why can ruminating keep the chewed from the unchewed food in
    their stomachs, 1090

  Animals, why do the smaller animals breed more abundantly than the
    larger ones, 1094

  Animals, domestic, why may change of weather be expected when they are
    restless, 1107

  Animals, plants, and minerals, what are the differences between them,
    1140

  Animals that graze, why do they crop the tender blades, but leave the
    tall grass, 1287


  LESSON V.

  Animals, distribution of, 1326

  Arms and hands, why do we see blue marks upon them, 896

  Arms and legs, why does it require the influence of the will to set
    them in motion, 917

  Arms and legs, why are they made subject to the will, 919

  Ascending, what is the cause of bodies, 775

  Atmosphere, how is it heated, 232

  Atmospheric humidity, why does it sometimes form clouds, at others form
    dews, fogs, mists, &c., 409

  Atmospheric pressure, how high will it raise water, 652

  Atmosphere, what is the, 639

  Atmosphere, to what height does it extend, 639

  Atmosphere, what is the amount of its pressure, 641

  Atmosphere, what is the proportion of watery vapour in the, 642

  Atmosphere, why are its upper regions intensely cold, 444

  Atmosphere, what is the greatest height ever reached in the, 648


  LESSON VI.

  Atmospheric pressure, what is the total amount on the earth's surface,
    644

  Atmosphere, what is the amount of its pressure upon the human body, 645

  Atmosphere, why do we not feel its pressure, 646

  Atmosphere, to what extent may its pressure vary, 702

  Attractive agent, what is an, 76

  Attraction, what is it, 772

  Attraction, how many kinds are there, 773

  Aurora Borealis, what is the cause of, 590


  Bananas or plantains, where are they cultivated, 1220

  Bark Peruvian, where is it produced, 1228

  Barometer, what is a, 691

  Barometer, why does it indicate the pressure of the atmosphere, 692

  Barometer, why is it also called a "weather-glass", 693

  Barometers, why are they constructed with circular dials, 694

  Barometer, why does the hand change its position when the mercury rises
    or falls, 695

  Barometer, why does tapping its face cause the hand to move, 696

  Barometer, why does its fall denote the approach of rain, 699


  LESSON VII.

  Barometer, why does its rise denote the approach of fine weather, 700

  Barometer, how does it enable us to calculate the height of the
    mountains, 701

  Barometer, when does it stand highest, 704

  Barometer, when does it stand lowest, 705

  Barometer, what effect has heat upon the, 707

  Barometer, what effect has cold upon the, 708

  Balloons, why do they ascend in air, 830

  Balloons, why do air balloons become inflated, 831

  Balloons, why do they sometimes burst when they reach a high altitude,
    832

  Bat and ball, what principles of natural philosophy are illustrated in
    the play, 867

  Bats, why have they hooked claws in their wings, 1079

  Bats, why do they fly by night, 1080


  LESSON VIII.

  Bats, why do they sleep during winter, 1081

  Beds, why should they be raised two feet from the ground, 15

  Bed-room windows, why are they sometimes covered with ice crystals, 344

  Beer, why will it not run out of a cask until a hole is made at the
    top, 660

  Beer, why does it get flat, 805

  Bees, why have they stings, 1101

  Bees, why may we expect fine weather when bees wander far from their
    hives, 1114

  Beetles, why are they called "coleoptera", 1319

  Beetles, why have they hard horny wing-cases, 1320

  Beetles, why have many of them hard horns, 1321

  Bile, why does it separate nutritious from innutritious matter, 884

  Birds, why have water-fowls feathers of a close and smooth
    texture, 1033

  Birds, why are they covered with feathers, 1030

  Birds, why does black down grow under their feathers on the approach of
    winter, 1036

  Birds, why have they hard beaks, 1040

  Birds, why are their beaks generally long and sharp, 1041

  Birds, why are their bones hollow, 1050

  Birds, why do they lay eggs, 1051


  LESSON IX.

  Birds, why have those with long legs short tails, 1052

  Birds, why have aquatic web-feet, 1059

  Birds, why have those that swim and dive short legs, 1060

  Birds, why have some deep rough notches on the under surfaces of their
    feet, 1061

  Birds, why have they gizzards, 1072

  Birds of prey, why have they no gizzards, 1084

  Birds, why may wet and thunder be expected when they cease to sing, 1121

  Birds of passage, why, if they arrive early, may severe weather be
    expected, 1121

  Birds, geological distribution of, 1326

  Birds, tameness of in unfrequented countries, 1327

  Birds, why are birds of song not also remarkable as birds of plumage,
    1328

  Birds, what are the velocities of their flights, 1329

  Birds, what is the cause of their migrations, 1330

  Black, why should parts of kettles and saucepans be allowed to remain,
    204

  Blood, in what proportions are the gases found in it, 39


  LESSON X.

  Blood, what is venous, 41

  Blood, what is arterial, 42

  Blood, what is the constitution of the, 899

  Blood, what quantity does the human body contain, 920

  Blood, how frequently does the whole quantity pass through the system,
    922

  Blowing upon tea, why does it cool it, 174

  Bow, why does it propel the arrow, 847

  Bow and arrow, what line does the arrow describe, 848

  Bow and arrow, what forces tend to arrest the arrow, 849

  Bow and arrow, why are there feathers at the ends of arrows, 850

  Bones, how many are there in the human body, 923

  Bones, of what substances are they composed, 924

  Bones, what are the uses of the, 925

  Bones, why are those of the back hollowed out, 927

  Bones, why are those of the skull arched, 930

  Bones, why are those of the skull divided by small sutures, 931

  Bones, why are they hollow, 934


  LESSON XII.

  Bones, why are those of the arms and legs formed into long shafts, 935

  Bones, why are those of the feet and hands numerous and small, 936

  Botanical geography, 1208

  Brain, why is it placed within the skull, 926

  Bread-fruit trees, where are they natives of, 1223

  Breathing, is it a kind of combustion, 17

  Breaths, have people ever been poisoned by their own, 24

  Breezes, why are summer said to be cool, 170

  Breezes, what is the cause of sea and land, 235

  Bubbles, why do they ascend in the air, 236

  Bubbles, why do they fall, after having ascended, 237

  Bubbles, why do they display rainbow colours, 499

  Bubbles, why are they round, 825

  Bubbles, why are they elongated when being blown, 826

  Bubbles, why do they close, and become perfect spheres when shaken from
    the pipe, 827

  Bubbles, why do they change their colours in the sunshine, 828

  Bubbles, why do they burst, 829


  LESSON XI.

  Burning or supporting combustion, what is the difference, 45

  Burning-glasses, why do they appear to set fire to substances, 80

  Butterflies, why do they lay their eggs upon cabbage-leaves, 1099

  Butterflies' eggs, why do they lie dormant in the winter, 1288

  Butterflies, why do they fly by day, 1296


  Calms, why do they prevail at the equator, 671

  Caloric, what is it, 72

  Caloric, what is the source of it, 73

  Caloric, what are the effects of it, 74

  Caloric, why is it called a repulsive agent, 75

  Caloric, how may it be excited to develope heat, 79

  Caloric, is there any in