14 On the Distribution of the 



(adverting to the views just quoted from Davy) *' gave birth 

 to that doctrine which Mr. Dalton, eighteen years after I had 

 written, claimed as originating from his own inventive genius. 

 ^Vhat his pretensions are will be seen from the sketches which 

 will soon follow, and which have been taken from my book. 



*' In the application of my system to chemical theory, I 

 expressed by numbers the relative forces of attraction subsist- 

 ing between the different kinds of ultimate particles and atoms 

 of matter to each other. This was of infinite use to me 

 during my researches, and, if followed up, would mature the 

 science into that mathematical precision in which it is at pre- 

 sent deficient. 



*' This I consider as one of the most important features of 

 the system ; it has not even been mentioned by Mr. Dalton in 

 his work, and when he repeats experiments formerly made by 

 me, he does not even glance at the source from whence he 

 derived his information. 



" I cannot with propriety or delicacy directly say that Mr. 

 Dalton is a plagiarist, although appearances are against him. 

 Probably he never read my book ; yet it appears extraordinary 

 that a person of Mr. Dalton' s industry and learning should 

 neglect one of the few works that were expressly written on 

 the subject of theory." 



Lastly, Dr. Ure observes*: ^' Is there any law regulating 

 these various compounds (of nitrogen), so that, knowing the 

 first proportion, we may infer the whole series ? This question 

 was first considered in a work containing many curious antici- 

 pations of discoveries to which posterior writers have laid 

 claim. I mean Mr. Higgins's comparative view of the phlo- 

 gistic and antiphlogistic theory, printed in 1788, and published 

 early in 1789. Besides some additional facts decidedly hostile 

 to the hypothesis of phlogiston, this publication indicates the 

 doctrine of multiple proportion, with regard to the successive 

 compounds of the same constituents. This was likewise inter- 

 woven with new and ingenious views concerning gaseous and 

 atomical combination. Mr. Higgins, having felt himself ag- 

 grieved at seeing discoveries first announced by him in 1789, 



* Dictionary— -Art. *' Equivalents," 



