Show fl 4 ti f 5 4 1 I f. f I z 4 I If h i J 1 y l l 7 t w n i t I f. f wr i. i 4 GE N N F E S I S Y P T of 01 our S CIE CI E NCE i nb ia k f r a r. r r a u r WONDERS E KS Research Reveals Orient Orient I CHICAGO and Not Occident Home of aK a Ar tiro g on chari s Sod ar r r ra Modern Genius Genius Aviation Aviation a show n in has relief of f fh h an period foreshadowed k 11 It r. r Front Ancient China XRay b j modern planes in r. r Front Fron 1 In India T Front Persia ds and Dirigibles From the Hindus 5 01 A- A t By Alma M. M Lorenz F FLYING LYING carpets and magic mirrors mirror's of legend were probably as real as the airplane rays X-rays and television are today The only reason these mechanical devices credited to the genius of the twentieth century were not perfected ages ago was that their inventors were looked ed upon as magicians and were put to death either through their own adventure adventure ad- ad venture of experiment or by their superstitious fellow fel- fel fellow low men In other words the Wright brothers Roentgen and Edison were not inventors in the true sense of the word with the mechanical bent of mind who carried out the plans that their imaginative ancestors of almost prehistoric times had thought out Dint for them t This is the startling assertion made by Dr Dr Barthold Laufer famous anthropologist of the Field 1 Museum of of Natural History in Chicago He has traced the source of the great mechanical inventions of the present age to the romantic and adventurous spirit of mythology Dr Laufer differs from all other writers on the history of aviation in crediting its true discovery discovery dis- dis covery to the Chinese The idea of the ray X-ray which peers through the human body was born in l India dia That of television goes to Persia Thus the Orient not the Occident Occident dent is regarded as the true home of modern inventive genius in two essays just published by Dr Laufer The will to fly he says is the will to conquer and this will has pervaded the hearts of men in the earliest stages of the gr great at civilizations civilizations civilizations' of Asia R this prehIstory of aviation Dr j L Laufer would have a new word inserted inserted in- in in our dictionaries logy to dIstinguish It from the purely can term aviation just as science distinguishes distinguishes dis- dis between astrology and astronomy astronomy as the one shrouded in mystery and magic the other quite real and tangible Icarus the fabled Lindbergh of Greek mythology whose father fitted him out with a makeshift airplane of eagle cagle wIngs essayed his first ocean hop with a machine that gave him motor trouble The wax with which the wings w were re attached to his body melted in inthe inthe the sun and Icarus took a fatal nosedive nosedive nose nose- dive into the sea This pioneer attempt is relegated to a by Dr Laufer Not so deeply shrouded in myth was vas the first scientific attempt of the early birdman Dr Laufer states in his recent Field Museum monograph The PrehIstory of Aviation Avi Uon The Chinese prototype of the Wright brothers was the Emperor Shun Who lIved about 2258 2208 B B. B C. C Emperor Shun not only made the first successful flight according according accord accord- ing to the Chinese records but also the first forced landing to in a parachute This feat was trot hot repeated for years The next parachute jump recorded it history was Via in 1783 A. A D D. Among the many singular coincidences ot of events e that loom upon ancient books of the East and West writes Dr Laufer Lau Lau- fer none perhaps is more captivating than that an imperial flier filer appears atthe at atthe the threshold ot of the earliest recorded history of China and that a royal filer opens the chapter of the early history ot 01 Great Britain the legendary teeth King or of Britain father or of King Leax Leal and founder r of Bath Is said to have made wings wing s or of feathers by means ot of which he at attempted attempted at- at tempted an aerial flight that qc s sP sJ so f P J yf 3 y e Yf r. r y t N 5 F M Jt RR a iN iNN N NN Rv fir o i b n Y n S b. 4 r si y A 3 r s i r a s y C y ct 4 a i h 1 ky n i y rC Y rr k pr w i iSY SY A modern glider in contrast to the spectacular d b f t aPo bird power machine at ri ht d Y S t which Francis hero in the Jan i in thc Moone built a Ny resulted In his death in before Our era Naturally Is made by tradition a necromancer and performer p of magical tricks In the Historia wrItten in or about the year 1147 Shun Is also connected with magic in ChIna although he did not fly for the sake of glory or to establish a record but from sheer necessity According to the commentary to the Annals of the Bamboo Books records inscribed on tablets ot of bamboo Shun Is described asa as asa a flier fUer It states Shuns parents detested detested de- de tested him They made him plaster a granary and set fire to it at Its f unda- unda tion Shun donned the work clothes of ofa ofa a bird arid add flying made his escape Se-ma Se Tsien whom Dr Laufer refers to as the father of history gives an account of Shuns Shun's adventure which we can more readily believe According to this history Ku Sou wade Jade hIs son Shun build a granary and ascend it It and thereupon set the structure on fire firer Shun who stood on top of the tower spread out two large reed hats which he used as a parachute in making hit hLf descent and landed on the ground unharmed Considering the tact fact that Chinese reed hats are umbrella shaped circular and very large in diameter some In the museums museum's collection measure three feet In diameter this feat would not seem Impossible said Dr Laufer f CHINESE tables fables also describe the flyIng V folk They are pictured as having long jaws birds bird's beaks red eyes white heads covered with hair and feathers able to fly but not over long distances In Babylonian Ass monuments winged figures man headed or bird headed are frequent but they are always represented as walking or standing never flying which makes them distinct from the Chinese flying men The Ti wang ski ki Id HIstory ot of the Ancient Emperors gives an account of the building of a flying machine It states kung Kl was able to make a flying chariot which driven by a fair wind traveled a great distance At the time of the Emperor Cheng Tang 54 1766 B B. B C. C the west wind blew kung's Ki-kung's chariot charlot as asfar far as 93 Ho nan The Emperor ordered this chariot to b be destroyed that thaI it shoUld not become known to the people The term flying chariot charlot Is sUB still used in China for the t e designation of 01 an air air- plane Kung shU Tse who Is worshiped in China as the patron saint of carpenters carpenter's was the Inventor of a grinding mill an ana and anda d a scaling ladder used used in besieging cities J. J M. M Viens Vien's painting of fastening the eagle wings on his son Icarus the fabled Lindbergh Lindbergh Lind- Lind bergh of Greek mythology called a cloud According According Ac- Ac cording to tradition he made madean an ascent riding on a wooden kite in order to spy on a city which he desIred to capture Another story says that the wooden kite was mounted by his father The old man flew as far as Wu Wu-hul in the ancient ancient an- an d Kingdom of Wu Vu The people there thel e took the landing flier for a devil and slew him 1 Both in China Japan stories are current of men riding riding rid rid- ing through the air on kites Old Hindu literature also contains numerous numerous numer- numer ous stories ot aIrships aIr aIr- ships and chariots In India the Idea Ti I I I of an airship developed developed de- de from that of a solar ship SImilar notions occur among other people Ra Ha the Egyptian sun god gU gUIs Is the owner of two barks changing changIng chang chang- Ing from ore to another in the morning and eve eve- l tt rung ning In post post- Vedic 1 literature the v vehicle ve- ve hicle of the god Vishnu is a a. celestial bird This purely mythological conception proved very fertile in stimulating imagination imagination nation and according to Indian stories led to construction of airships and attempts attempts at- at tempts at flying points out Dr Laufer A dirigible airship is described in the theold theold old collection of Hindu stories known as the The heroes ot of this tale are six young the men son ot of a rich richman richman man a physicians physician's son a painters painter's son a mathematicians mathematician's son Eo a carpenters carpenter's son and the son o of a smith They leave leav e home in search of adventure The first firs t won the hand of a beautiful Princess who was kidnapped by a powerful Kin King g and taken to his harem The six heroes constructed a wooden n bird whose interior they equipped with t tan an elaborate apparatus which allowed allowe d the machine to fly in various directions ns and to to change Its course at will When n the youth soared over the city the people e were amazed The KIng bade his consort consort con con- sort ascend the palace and offer er food to r J z i. i y mu l ls s I III II v o Chinese of Ki s flying chariot 8 C. C which depended upon the force of the wind for its mo- mo live power the strange bird The aviator opened the thedoor thedoor door ot of the machine made himself known seated hiS former wife Inside and hopped off with her just as we see it done inthe in inthe the movies today the first the idea of aircraft was FROM associated with warfare Just so X rays were first tm im by the human mind for use in diagnosis The notIon ot of rays X-rays for this purpose was anticipated anticipated antici- antici both In China and in India Dr Laufer gives us the following account The Chinese raJ records concerning con con- metal mirrors which would tight lIght up the interior organs of the human uman bOdy The Emperor Tsin Shi B C C. C Is s credited with the possession et 01 such a mirror which was styled the precious mirror that would illuminate the bones of the body or the mIrror Illuminating the gall When a man stood straight stra s 41 r lj t r r e before It to see his reflection his image appeared reversed When some one placed his hands on his heart he observed observed ob- ob served his five vIscera placed side by side and not impeded by any obstacle When aman man had had a hidden malady within his organs he could the seat ot of his complaint by looking into this mirror and laying his hands hands' handson on l his s heart Moreover when a woman had perverse perverse per per- verse sentiments her gall would swell and her heart palpitate The Emperor Tsin Shi ther therefore fore constantly availed himself of this mirror to test the women of his seraglIo Those whose gall would swell and whose heart would be agitated he ordered to be killed Jivaka a celebrated physician of ancient ancient an- an India and contemporary of Gautama Buddha called the king of doctors at least had the idea that it was necessary to illuminate thE organs of the body forthe for forthe the purpose of making a diagnosis and perform surgical oper operations Jivaka Is said to have discolored In a load of fagots a marvelous gem possessed ot of the virtue that when placed before Jre nn an invalId it illuminated his body as a lamp lights up all objects in a hou house e and so revealed aH So o an gem on the head of a 0 sick man and found that there was a centipede inside of his head probably a brain tumor he opened his skull with an instrument and pulled the centipede out with a pair of heated pincers whereupon the patient recovered r cov- cov ered Was this jewel radIum TELEVISION too was born bon in the minds of men thousands of years ago and has a prehistory in Oriental folklore Dr Laufer has collected these accounts and refers reters to them In The Prehistory of Television in a recent issue of Scientific Monthly In great epic poem The liThe Book of Kings is told th the e story or of the cup which mirrors the world a. a kv fi r w t and distant persons z of his warriors to the people of Irmal to help them rid the country of wild boar boari the King Kai is much annoyer annoye when only one of them returns the machinations and jealousy of his companIon had fallen in lov with the Princess of Irman and as a re suIt was imprisoned in a pit The King however by means means of hIs divining cuT cur was able to ascertain pUgh and dispatched the hero Rustam to de deliver liver er him i bi J an alchemist who lived i 1 Egypt during the third and fount fourt centuries A. A D. D discusses the electron a alloy of gold and silver and mentions magIc mirror which Alexander the Grea Gre had made of it and exhibited in th Temple of the Seven Gates In B. B C C. C Alexander lexander the Gres Grea I founded Alexandria About B. B C. C tl th Pharos was constructed there by of the Cnidus-the earliest lighthouse know to history It was about feet high a three c storied structure The Tae lower story w wf square the middle one octagonal tt tb upper which contained the light was c cb I cular On the top of this Alexander placed a mirror in which coin caul be sigh sighted ed all incoming ships the roux COuI try of Rum the Byzantine Empire t tt Islands of the sea and whatever was dot dOD by their inhabitants The Persians calle this lighthouse the Mirror of Alexande Alexand believing that the fortunes of Alexand depended on it Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela who tr try t the Orient between the yea 1153 and 1173 mentions this mIrror I E Estates states that when Greece was still to the a Greek vessel c ca anchor in the port The captain a aGree Gree Theodorus by name instructed in all sc ence brought the Egyptian King presents of gold and silver sUver silk and pu pm pIe One day he served the guards of t tt lIghthouse with an opUlent feast and ga ga them wine until they fell into a de sleep The captain then ordered his alto ere al to smash the mirror and set sail saU the sat san night From that time Christian shir ski entered the port and snatched away t U large islands of Crete and md Cyprus Egy was from that time unable to resist t tl Greek power In the famous letter of Prester Jo Job purporting to have been written hy by hi hito h to the Byzantine Emperor Manuel 11 80 Is described a marvelous mirror wl is reached by ascending steps of OVI an elaborate structure of pillars In t tb mirror all plots on behalf of Prester Jo Joor Jot or against him could be clearly seen s en E D and night it was guarded by ammen ant am men that tha tit it might not be broken by a ac dent Thus through history does docs Dr Lau Lauf prove that the human 1 h been of utmost importance in the dev of mechanics and inventions 7 TJ trend of 01 mans man's mInd toward the roman romant and adventurous has resulted in the cl co quest of th the air and prof Plo tele isK Many lany fundamental contrivances have been reasoned out logically through p pr scientific thought They wr first conceIved through visionary reve rev revas as an ed fact and man proceeded to work toward this i goal bv br Ledoer I |