168 Professor Whewell on the 



ceive that the inequalities and transfers produced by the tem- 

 porary and incomplete action of the equalizing causes, may be 

 of equal magnitude and consequence with those ultimate and 

 complete changes by which the general tendency of such causes 

 is manifested. A panic may produce results as wide and as im- 

 portant as a general fall of profits. 



Of this source of uncertainty in the value of such results as I 

 shall have to obtain, I cannot pretend to determine the extent. 

 But independently of this consideration, the postulates above 

 stated are so far from being adequate properly to represent the 

 general facts, that we can hardly look for any accordance 

 between the calculated and the observed effects. To consider, 

 for instance, the tendency of mankind to increase their numbers 

 as a universal and inevitable law, and to leave out of consider- 

 ation the co-ordinate and antagonist tendency by which they 

 endeavour to preserve and increase their comforts, is to insure a 

 total dissimilarity between our theory and the actual state of 

 things. 



The postulate of equilibrium is introduced to our calculations 

 by the process of putting the other postulates into the form of 

 equations. The values of the quantities involved are by this 

 means determined according to the condition of the equilibrium 

 of our principles above stated. 



8. I will now mention the general problems which it appears 

 to have been the object of Mr. Ricardo's work to solve ; and I 

 will afterwards proceed to obtain mathematical solutions of them 

 on his principles. 



If we suppose the population of a country to go on increasing, 

 and the powers of agriculture to remain stationary, it will, in order 

 that the increased numbers may be provided with subsistence, be 



