NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 



ATOMECHANICS. 



The discovery of the existence of pantogen, which may be re- 

 garded as the primary chemical principle, as gravitation is the 

 primary mechanical principle, is due to Gustav Hinrichs, of Co- 

 penhagen. In 1856 and 1857 he communicated memoirs on ato- 

 mechanics, or chemistry considered as mechanics of the panatoms, 

 or atoms of pantogen, to various learned men and academies of 

 Europe. He referred frequently to the subject in several papers 

 between 1880 and 1866, and in 1867 published a complete outline 

 of the new science, illustrated by elaborate diagrams. 



Though as yet in its infancy, and only a first step in a boundless 

 realm, it furnishes subjects for thought of great interest. He con- 

 cludes, from the analogy between the history of astronomy and 

 that of chemistry, that there exists some general principle which 

 will transform modern chemistry into a mechanics of the atoms, as 

 astronomy has become a mechanics of the heavenly bodies. As 

 the basis of this celestial mechanics is but a hypothesis, so a simi- 

 lar hypothesis may be pronounced with regard to the chemical 

 atoms. 



Let us suppose that the atoms of the chemical elements differ only 

 in regard to quantity, that is, in regard to the number and relative 

 position of the atoms of some one primary matter, just as the plan- 

 ets differ only according to the number of pounds of ponderable 

 matter they contain, and its distribution around their axes. Since 

 everything would thus be composed of this one primary matter, 

 he calls it pantogen, and its atoms panatoms. This is a hypothe- 

 sis ; but even universal gravitation is only a hj'pothesis ; and, as 

 this hypothesis is the fundamental principle of theoretical astron- 

 omy, so the hypothesis, of pantogen explains the numerical rela- 

 tion of the atomic weights, and gives a simple, comprehensive, 

 because natural, classification of the elements, so that the chemical, 

 physical, and morphological or crystallographic properties of the 

 elements and their continuations may be calculated just as the 

 orbit of a planet is calculated. 



The panatoms, or atoms of pantogen, are necessarily equal ; they 

 must be considered as simple and material points, totally devoid 

 of all occult properties. When combined they are at certain fixed 

 distances from each other. Three combined necessarily^ form an 

 equilateral triangle, as this is the only position of stable equilib- 

 rium of three equal material points. j\Iore panatoms combining 

 herewith in the same plane will continue this geometrical law, thus 

 forming hexagons, etc., divisible into regular triangles. Accord- 



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