444 SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT. 



42. An analogy has been pointed out l between the atomic 



Analogy 



Between theory in chemistry, by which Dalton explained the fixed 

 Itomicfiaws s i m pl e an( ^ multiple proportions of the combining weights 

 of various substances, and the molecular theory of crystal- 

 line structures, by which the fundamental forms of crystals 

 are defined and the accessory forms derived from them. 

 It has been found that if once a crystal has been defined 

 by a fundamental plane referred to three axes at fixed 

 angles, all other planes or faces can be defined by simple 

 multiples of the numbers which belong to the fundamental 

 plane, and which are called the parameters of the crystal. 

 This fundamental rule or law of crystallisation, termed by 

 Haiiy the law of derivation, stands thus in the same rela- 

 tion to the corpuscular theory of the structure of bodies 

 as the law of fixed multiple proportions stands to the 

 original atomic view of matter, and it is thought that it 

 may in the future lead to important results. 2 



43. Another very remarkable discovery had been made by 



Isomor- 

 phism. Mitscherlich in 1823. 3 This is the property which various 



compounds possess of crystallising in the same forms, 

 although they contain different elements such elements 

 being, however, joined together by similar formulae. The 

 elements are, as it were, interchangeable. This phe- 



1 See Ostwald, ' Allgemeine 

 Chemie,' vol. i. p. 870. 



2 A question arises in this connec- 

 tion as to the accuracy of the crys- 

 tallographic law of the fixity of the 

 angles. In respect of this Ostwald 

 says : " On examining the validity 

 of the fundamental laws of crystallo- 

 graphy, it becomes evident that 

 they are only approximate, or per- 

 haps more correctly, that there exist 

 numerous circumstances which per- 

 mit them to show themselves only in 



a somewhat disturbed manner" (loc. 

 cit., vol. i. p. 890). This I under- 

 stand to mean that, if disturbing 

 circumstances could be removed, the 

 law of the fixity of angles and the 

 simple multiples of the indices 

 would obtain with the same ac- 

 curacy as do the combining numbers 

 and their multiples in chemical 

 combinations. 



3 See supra, chap. ii. p. 191 and 

 note. 



