Royal Sociefifs Honours, li 



brought forward nineteen years afterwards by Mr. Daltonin his 

 own name, published, in 1814, a book, entitled Experiments and 

 Observations on the Atomic Theory and Electrical Phenomena, 

 In this work he gives numerous quotations from his Compara- 

 tive View, which appear to cstabhsh his claim of priority to 

 the discovery of multijde jyroportions and the atomic theory 

 of chemistry'' Dr. lire then proceeds to quote and explain 

 Mr. Higgins's experiments, and leaves not the smallest doubt, 

 upon a candid and unprejudiced mind, of his claims of priority 

 and originality. 



1 now presume to have shown that Mr. Dalton is not the 

 inventor of the atomic theory, nor the discoverer of those 

 laws of combination and decomposition upon which it is 

 immediately founded. I next ask, whether Mr. Dalton has 

 materially contributed to its development and extended appli- 

 cation ? Whether we owe to his suggestions those *' Tables 

 of Equivalents," which are so useful in the laboratory, and so 

 important to the manufacturer of chemical products ? — No : 

 all this is due to Dr..Wollaston, whose logometric scale of 

 chemical equivalents brought the theory into practice, and ren- 

 dered that, which was a mere abstract subject- of chemical 

 inquiry, little understood and less investigated — an instrument 

 of the utmost usefulness and value. He did that for the theory 

 of definite proportions which Mr. Watt effected for the steam- 

 engine : it was a comparatively useless and cumbersome 

 machine ; he rendered it generally applicable, and divested it 

 of its clogs and incongruities. Had Mr. Dalton stood in the 

 place of Dr. Wollaston, I should have gladly witnessed the 

 honour which has fallen upon him ; for the merit of those who 

 fertilise barren inventions, and bring them home ** to the 

 business and bosoms of men," I am inclined to rate very 

 highly, and even sometimes to consider it as superior to that 

 of the original inventor. Newton developed the theory of 

 gravitation, and magnificently did he apply it to practical 

 purposes ; but such excess of talent rarely falls to the human 

 lot:— 



" For life doth rarely to one man allow 

 Time to discover worlds and conquer too." 



And it generally happens that a great axiom or principle in 



