IO DISCORDANT DOCTRINES. 



Impatient of the slow progress in discovering 

 the cause of the movements of molecules toward 

 and from one another, an excellent chemist Pro- 

 fessor Graham boldly came forward to settle the 

 popular chemical theory of the existence of in- 

 herent self-motive power in molecules, by joining 

 issue with the mechanical theory of the incapa- 

 bility of matter to move itself. He asks earnestly, 

 " Which shall yield to the other?" 1 



With the hope of harmonizing this discord 

 between the two sister sciences of chemistry and 

 mechanics, the writer of these pages devoted much 

 labor to researches on this subject, and published 

 the result, in the year 1851, in a treatise entitled, 

 "The Philosophy of the Mechanics of Nature, 

 and of the Source and Modes of Transmission of 

 Natural Motive Power." 2 



Failing to discover any self-originating cause of 

 motion in terrestrial matter, the writer was led 

 on to take a broader view of the passive functions 

 of our planet, as subordinate to universal laws, and 

 as being a minute working-part of the mechanism 

 of the solar system. In the continual swift-revolv- 

 ing movements of more than one hundred and 

 fifty great planets and asteroids, there is an actu- 

 ally existing momentum, or moving force, amply 

 sufficient to sustain all the relative movements of 

 terrestrial molecules and bodies, and requiring 

 only to be traced out in accordance with universal 



1 Graham's Chemistry. 2 D. Appleton & Co., New York. 



