5fi 



But upon this question I shall enter no 

 farther, as it has been discussed in the 

 discourse given in the award of the 

 Copleian medal to M. Oersted, hy my 

 predecessor in office, with all his pecu- 

 liar sagacity and happy talent of illus- 

 tration. 



To point out all the objects worthy 

 of inquiry in chemistry, would occupy 

 the time appropriated to many sittings 

 of the Society. 1 cannot, however, 

 avoid mentioning amongst impoitaut 

 desiderata, the knowledge of the nature 

 of the combinaliims of that principle 

 existing in fluor or Dcrhyshiie spar', 

 and whicli has not yet been obtained 

 purt ; the relations of that extraordi- 

 nary fact, the metallizatioji of ammo- 

 nia ; and the connexion b<;twei;n me- 

 chanical and chemical pli i nomeua in 

 the action of roltaic electricity. 1 

 must congratulate the Society on the 

 rapid advances made in the theory of 

 definite proportions, since it was first 

 advanced in a distinct form by the in- 

 genuity of Mr. Dalton. 1 congratulat;; 

 tlie Society on its progress, and on the 

 promise it affords of solving the re- 

 condite changes owing to the motions of 

 the particles of matter, by laws d(v 

 peuding upon their weight, number, 

 and tigiue, and which will be probably 

 foimd as simple in their origin, and as 

 harmonious in their relations, as those 

 which direct the motions of the hea- 

 venly bodies, and produce the beauty 

 and Oi:j[ler of the universe. 



The crystallizations or regular fm-ms 

 of inorganic matter are intimately con- 

 nected with deiinite proportion's, and 

 depend upon the motion of tiie com- 

 binations of the elementary particles: 

 and both the laws of electrical i)olarity, 

 and of the polarization of light, se;'m 

 related to these phse nomeua. As to the 

 origin of the primary arrangements of 

 the" crystalline matter of the globe, 

 various hypotheses have been applied, 

 and the question is still agitated, and 

 is perhaps above the present state of 

 our knowledge ; but there are two prin- 

 cipal (acts which present analogies on 

 the subject : One, that ♦he form of the 

 earth is that which would result, sup- 

 posing it to have been originally fluid ; 

 and the other, that in lavas, masses 

 decidedly of igneous origin, crystalline 

 substances similar to those belonging 

 to the primary rocks, are fountl in 

 abundance. 



In following the sensible phaenomena 

 of nature from the motions of the great 

 masses of the lieavenly bodies, wliich 



The Royal Society of London. 



[Feb. I, 



first impress the senses and aflecf the 

 imagination, to the changes individually 

 imperce])tihle, which produce the phfp- 

 nomeua of crystallization, there is a 

 regular gradation, and a sr-ries con- 

 formable to analogy ; and, where crys- 

 tallization ends, another series, that of 

 animated nature, begins, governed by a 

 distinct set of laws, but obedient to a 

 principle, the properties ofwliich, in- 

 dependent of matter, can never be 

 submitted to human (d)servation. T!ie 

 functions and ojierations of organized 

 beings, however, offer an intinite variety 

 of beautiful and important objects «)f 

 investigation. For instance, in those 

 refined chemical processes, by which 

 the death and decay of one species 

 afford nourishment foi- another and 

 higiier order; by which the water 

 and inert matter of the soil and the 

 atmosphere are converted info deli- 

 cately organized structures, filled with 

 life and beauty. 



In vegetable ])hysiology, how many 

 pha*nomena still remain for investi- 

 gation ; the motion of the sap, (he 

 functions of tlie leaves, for instance, 

 and the nature of the organs of assi- 

 milation. 



In animal physiology the subjects 

 are still mnro. varied, more obscure, 

 and of a higher character. May we 

 not ho))e that those philosophers of the 

 schools of (jrew and of Hunter, avJio 

 have already done so much for us, t\'i1I 

 notecase their elVorts for the improve- 

 ment of those branches of science, which 

 are not merely important in flu-ir phi- 

 loso])liical relations, but of great uti- 

 lity, the one to agriculture, and the 

 other to nmdicine. 



The I'resident concluded by ex- 

 pressing his confidence, that the Fellows 

 of (he iloyal Society, in all tiieir future 

 researches, would be guided by that 

 spirit of philosophy, awakened by our 

 great masters, IJacon and Newton ; 

 that sober and cautious method of in- 

 ductive reasoning, which is the germ 

 of truth, and of permanency in all the 

 sciences. I trust, he said, that those 

 amongst us who are so fortunate as to 

 kindle the light of new discoveries, 

 will use them not for the purpose of 

 dazzling the organs of ovn- intellectual 

 vision, but rather to enlighten us, by 

 shewing objects in their true forms and 

 colours. 



That onr philosophers will attach no 

 importance to hypotheses, except as 

 leading to the research after facts, so 

 as to be able to d iscard or adopt them 



at 



