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THE JASPER.
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fluid,
and laid down specially at the ends, as shown by the fine strise which
are never wanting on the middle planes. Furthermore, his rejecting the
notion of extreme cold as the causa efjiciens (in producing the
Crystal), for the adopted thought of something similar to magnetic
power, was a suggestive idea ; and not less so his conclusion that
therefore the Crystals were not formed only at the first beginning of
things, but that they continue to grow, even to the present day.
The signification of the word Crystal is (from the Greek—irustallos) ice,
or frozen water. All Crystals depend closely on their different
geometric characters, and optic properties, for the various relations
they bear to heat, magnetism, and electricity. These relations must
have much to do with their physical effects on our bodies when the said
Crystals are worn as Jewels, or otherwise applied externally.
Likewise,
again, our sense of smell, as to its practical utility for meeting
bodily needs, is comparatively unexplained. It certainly keeps guard
over the air we breathe, lest it should invade our lungs with noxious
fumes ; also it serves to detect malodorous indications of impure, or
putrid foods which would do us harm ; but beyond these negative
functions the sense of smell does not seem to exercise vitally
important duties for us, as do the other indispensable senses of sight,
hearing, touch, and taste. Perfumes are actually useless to us towards
maintaining the economy of our daily life in active operation. Indeed,
when too violent, or too lasting, they positively injure. " This
uselessness," says a recent able journalist, " deserves our close
consideration; it seems to hold behind it some fair secret." " Our
scent is the only purely luxurious
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