Matter. 57 



of atoms — this procreation of atoms is impossible. 

 What is implied by material sexuality is solely a 

 reciprocal duality in fundamentals, which produces 

 disparity in compounds. 



All that follows shall further tend to show that this 

 duality of the atoms is a fundamental principle which 

 embodies one of the most salient truths in the science 

 of the century. 



Section 4. The Combining Weights of the Elements : 

 In arithmetic each change of numerals in a sum 

 involves, through the variation of the symbols, a 

 difference in the value expressed ; hence, in chemistry 

 we might also infer that a mere variation in the 

 quantity of a substance's constituent elements would 

 produce a corresponding variety in the nature of the 

 material product. But it is not so. The elements, 

 indeed, hereby justify their postulation as an alphabet, 

 for the laws of their combination in effecting produc- 

 tion resemble those governing letters in language. 

 For example, neither consonants nor vowels alone 

 form a word, — -both are required. Again, an indis- 

 criminate mixture of consonants and vowels does not 

 produce a word but a medley: Further, a trans- 

 position of the letters of even a good English word 

 into different combinations does not necessarily 

 constitute other words with different meanings, but, 

 in all probability, gibberish. Hence, words must be 

 coined according to well-defined rules, from which 

 little or no variation is permissible. 



