and on its alleged Iiifinite Divisibility. 365 



i7idefinite, or beyond the reach of experimental or assignable 

 limitation ? Whence it follows, that if the primitive or uncom- 

 pounded particles of matter are considered to be infinitely di- 

 visible, they must also be considered to be in like manner in- 

 ^nitely pervious or pefietrable — thus infi'iiitely compressible, 

 which is contrary to reason and experiment ; and from which 

 it also follows, that matter, not being infinitely penetrable, can- 

 not be infinitely divisible, but only indefinitely so. 



The author then goes on to illustrate the doctrine of infi- 

 nite divisibility, by the separation and attenuation of certain 

 substances; in doing which, however, he proves nothing 

 further than that those substances are divisible indefinitely, or 

 in a greater degree than our means will enable us to effect 

 their separation, as in the instance given by him of pulverized 

 marble ; and in a greater degree than our senses, aided by 

 instruments, can enable us to perceive, as deducible from 

 the instance cited of the animalcula counted by Mr. Leuwen- 

 hoek ; which facts merely go to prove haw indefinitely, and 

 not Aoio infinitely, the division of matter may take place. 



" The second property of matter," says the Professor, " is 

 that it is infinitely divisible, or in other words, that the origi- 

 nal component parts, or elementary particles of which all 

 things are formed, are small beyond conception : thus, if 

 marble or any britde substance is reduced to the most im- 

 palpable powder which human art can produce, its original 

 particles will not be bruised or affected ; since if this powder 

 be examined by a microscope, each grain will be found a 

 solid stone, similar in appearance to the block from whence it 

 was broken ; and of course, if we possessed suitable imple- 

 ments, would admit of being again subdivided or reduced to 

 a still finer powder. If a single grain of copper is dissolved 

 in about fifty drops of nitric acid, and the solution is after- 

 wards diluted with about an ounce of water, it is evident that 

 a single drop of it must contain an almost immeasurably small 

 portion of copper, and yet so soon as this comes in contact 

 with a piece of polished steel or iron, that metal will become co- 

 vered with a perfect coat of copper ; consequently as much iron 

 may be covered with cojiper as the solution will wet ; which 

 shows how infinitely the copper can be divided without any 

 alteration in its texture. 



" Gold is so extended under the hammer of the workman, 

 in forming it into the thin sheets called leaf-gold, that the 

 500,000th part of a grain becomes visible to the naked eye, 

 or the 50,000,000tli part, through a microscope magnifying 

 but ten times: and Mr, Ferguson has calculated that a single 

 pound (jf gold would be sufficient lo cover a silver wire ca- 

 pable 



