ELISHA MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 101 



called Prout's Hypothesis, that all of the atomic weights were 

 multiples of that of hydrogen, and, as an inference to be drawn, 

 that hydrogen was the primal element of which thev were made. 



This hypothesis has had many valiant defenders and a large 

 number of most determined opponents, and it has called forth 

 work that has been of immense benefit to the science. It is well 

 that this one good thing can be spoken of so many false suppo- 

 sitions and theories. As an hypothesis it is based on a few coin- 

 cidences which were to be naturally looked for in the light of 

 mathematics and the law of probabilities. One may say that 

 no absolute proof in its favor has ever been advanced, nor does 

 it seem capable of proof at the present day. A cursory exam- 

 ination would reveal proportionately similar coincidences for 

 some of the other elements. I say proportionately for, of course, 

 the smaller the atomic weight the greater the number of its 

 multiples and the greater the probability of coincidences within 

 the limits given. 



I cannot believe that Meyer and Seubert* are serious when 

 they state it as a "striking fact that the atomic weights of more 

 than one-fourth of all the elements are very nearly multiples of 

 the half atomic, or equivalent weight of oxygen," giving a table 

 to show this, and adding that "such regularities are worthy of 

 note." They can scarcely be worthy of much note, for such 

 regularities or coincidences would be exceedingly probable where 

 we have sixty or seventy elements with atomic weights under 

 240 and take a small number with thirty or more multiples in the 

 same range. The smaller the number the more numerous will be 

 the multiples and consequently the coincidence-. To show this, 

 I have added to the table of Meyer and Seubert two other lists 

 of multiples and "regularities." 



*Loc. cit. 



