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XIX. Essmjs on Chemical Philosophy. By Mr. M. Allen, 

 ' ' Lechirer. 



Essay I. 



JLt is intended in these Essays to offer a brief outline of the laws 

 and principles of natural science ; and as some of the ideas pro- 

 posed to be offered, may be found to differ from the principles 

 and reasoning which have been advanced by others, the reader 

 is requested not to be hasty in either receiving or rejecting what 

 may be advanced, but to suspend his decision lill the way 

 has been cleared for their statement, and their application to 

 chemical affinity, electricity, caloric, light, astronomy, and the 

 immense detail of facts in Nature and in chemical or artificial 

 operations, has been exhibited. 



The bare mention of tlie subject precludes the necessity of 

 argument to show its importance. — II is the desideratum of 

 science. It is true that the operations and effects of the power 

 of Nature, called attraction, have been submitted to rigid and 

 mathematical calcuhition : but it is equally true, that only by a 

 misnomer have these been denominated the Inu's of its action; 

 for they merely point out the uniformity of those effects which 

 the laws and principles of its action produce. The same mis- 

 application of the words " laws and principles" is committed in 

 applying tliem to those circumstances by which the operatiori 

 of these laws and principles is facilitated, opposed or modi- 

 fied, such as pulverization, solution, gravity, &c. The subject 

 therefore requires, as has been said, no argument to establish its 

 importance, however desirable it miglit be that more adequate 

 powers than the writer can boast had undertaken the present 

 task. He feels however no apprehensions for the fate of his 

 attempt, fi)r truth is the object he aims at ; and so far as he 

 may succeed in making this manifest, he knows t!iat, in tliis phi- 

 losophical age, he has nothing to fear from the hostility of pre- 

 judice. All opposition, however, is not prejudice. Opposition 

 often exerls itself beneficially in defence oi truth ; but prejudice 

 resists and presumes to answer before it has examined and un- 

 derstood the things it liad predetermined to oppose. 



Witliout further preface, I will at once proceed to the classifi- 

 cation or division of .s<ieuce, intended to be piir.-'ued, and to state 

 the rcas )ns hr adopting the names and arrH<ignmenrs employed 

 in such classification or di^vision ; — and, as the primary liead, 

 what relates to attrac'Jon - attractive agencies — and passive siib- 

 stanoes. 



Vol.49.No.226. Fe^. 1817. i' t— '^^- 



