HISTORY OF THE ATOMIC THEORY. 215 



fundamental ideas. These are much wanted in Richter^s 

 chemistry. Richter's cotemporaries did not obtain the atomic 

 theory, although some were students of his work. Berzelius 

 himself did not obtain the atomic theory from Richter, 

 although the most illustrious of the students of Richter's 

 books. Dalton then could not have obtained it, and the 

 direction he takes is perfectly different, the road he went 

 quite clear, and the result he came to entirely distinct from 

 that aimed at by Richter. 



In such early days it required a mind of a high order to see 

 as Richter did into the great necessity of permanent laws, 

 and the great structure he raised to make the inquiry shews us 

 that he saw its importance. Had chemists been accustomed 

 to study the works of their own class, such books as his 

 would have rapidly produced results, but the history of the 

 matter speaks ill for the apathy of the men of even that 

 period, and well for his untiring energy and devotion. 



