ATOMS ARE INDESTRUCTIBLE 



solid, liquid or gaseous bodies (according to the de- 

 gree of heat present), or one atom may form with 

 one or more dissimilar atoms, other molecular bodies 

 of like variable physical conditions ; but in all com- 

 binations whatever, the mass of the new body or bodies 

 formed are the exact sum of the simple atoms that 

 pre-existed. When bodies are separated, decomposed 

 or apparently destroyed by fire or otherwise, the 

 atoms, if collected, whether singly or in the shape of 

 new combinations, will exactly equal in the aggregate 

 the weight of those that constituted the former and 

 original substances. Matter is indestructible. It 

 cannot be created, nor can it be destroyed. 



When a solid, inorganic substance is slowly formed, 

 either from the slow condensation of a vapor into a 

 solid ; by the cooling or the evaporation of a solution 

 of a solid ; or, finally, by the cooling of a mass brought 

 into the liquid state by fusion, it is usually found that 

 the solid thus produced possesses definite form. The 

 sides, or plane surfaces, and angles uniting them 

 are definite, constant and peculiar to the particular 

 substance in question. This is the phenomenon of 

 crystallization. In a few instances the substance 

 possesses polymorphism ; that is, it crystallizes in two 

 or more forms not belonging to the same system. 

 This seems to be dependent upon varying conditions 

 of temperature in its formation, or on the presence 

 12 177 



