288 The Unity of the Organism 



stance and chemical action contains the idea of transforma- 

 tion in one form or another. Clearness on this point is in- 

 dispensable to our purpose. Chemistry is too often defined, 

 even in elementary text books and in dictionaries, as though 

 the "composition of matter" were its initial and most es- 

 sential function. But this conception is surely contrary to 

 the history and most essential nature of the science. There 

 is, it seems, entire agreement among competent writers that 

 scientific chemistry is a direct descendant of Alchemy, and 

 a very imperfect knowledge of the history of Alchemy re- 

 veals the fact that the every-where present, normal trans- 

 formations in nature, particularly in inorganic nature, were 

 the foundation phenomena of this old art. One has only to 

 recall the place held by the idea of the transmutation of 

 metals, this idea having usually the practical aim of chang- 

 ing the "base metals" into "noble metals," The "phil- 

 osopher's stone" and the "great elixir" were magical some- 

 tliings by which the transmutations could be accomplished. 



Greatly significant from our standpoint is the fact that 

 one of the objectives of Robert Boyle (middle of the seven- 

 teenth century), who, perhaps as much as any one man, is 

 entitled to be called the father of experimental chemistry, 

 was to rectify the false and mystical notions prevalent in his 

 time about "Elements," "Principles," "Essences," etc. "Tell 

 me what you mean by your Principles and your Elements," 

 Boyle demanded, "then I can discuss them with you as work- 

 ing instruments for advancing knowledge." ^ 



What is "behind" the transformations — forces, elements, 

 principles, essences, spirits or what not — is indeed an impor- 

 tant and, properly asked, a legitimate question. But — and 

 here is the most vital fact of all — it is a question which can 

 not be raised even, until after the transformations have been 

 observed, nor can an answer of objective value be given un- 

 less the whole round of observed phenomena, the substances 

 previous to transformation, the transformatory processes. 



