THE ATOMIC VIEW OF NATURE. 455 



specially on the lines marked out by the atomic view of 

 nature have, in the course of time, reasserted themselves, 

 the atomic view itself has been regarded with less favour 

 by students who have made these problems their especial 

 study. In fact, one meets not infrequently with an in- 

 clination to disparage the atomic theory, to point out 

 that it is merely a hypothesis, and that as such it 

 should only assist, but not govern, scientific research. 1 

 In the domain of specially chemical reasoning we meet 53. 



Criticisms of 



with severe criticisms of the one-sided and formal develop- the atomic 



view. 



ment to which the atomic view has led, of the playing with 

 symbols and of their empty formalism ; notably structural 

 chemistry and stereo-chemistry have not escaped severe 

 ridicule. 2 Whilst it is not very evident how the school 

 from which these criticisms proceed can in the long-run 

 escape those logical consequences which are embodied 

 in stereo-chemistry, other criticisms claim our attention 



1 See Berthelot, ' La Synthese de 1'esprit humain, naturellement 



chimique,' 7 me e"d., 1891, p. 167. porte fc substituer <\ la conception 



' Le principal reproche, que 1'on directe des choses ... la vue plus 



puisse adresser a la thcorie ato- simple . . . de leurs signes reprd- 



mique, comme a toutes les concep- sentatifs." 



tions analogues, c'est qu'elles con- : 2 The late eminent Professor 



duisent a opeYer sur ces rapports ; Hermann Kolbe of Leipsic, whose 



numeriques des elements et non labours both alone and jointly with 

 sur lea corps eux-memes, en rap- 

 portant toutes les reactions a une 

 unite type, ndcessairement imag- 



inaire. Bref elles enlevent aux 

 phe'nomenes tout caractere reel, 



Frankland have done so much to 

 break down the formalism of the 

 older type theory, was especially 

 conspicuous by his virulent attacks 

 on the representatives of 'Modern 



et substituent a leur exposition Chemistry.' The controversy is 



vdritable une suite de considerations elaborately and lucidly treated by 



symboliques, auxquelles 1'eaprit se A. Rau in ' Die Theorien der 



complait, parce qu'il s'y exerce modernen Chemie ' (Braunschweig, 



ayec plus de facilite" que sur les 1877-84, 3 parts), which contains 



realitea proprement dites ... les very valuable historical references, 



symboles de la chimie pre*sentant I am afraid it is greatly owing to 



a cet dgard d'dtranges seductions this party spirit that Kolbe's own 



par la facilitd alg^brique de leurs greatness is hardly sufficiently 

 combinaisons et par les tendances i known in this country. 



