HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 9 



reasons had, in all probability, the greatest in- 

 fluence. 



Bat in Great Britain, where the importance 

 of Richter's opinions were likely to have been 

 early appreciated, another cause operated to 

 prevent them from gaining much ground. The 

 French revolution was at its acme, when Rich- 

 ter began his Stochyometrical investigations, 

 and all Europe was plunged into the bloodiest 

 and most inveterate war, that has almost ever 

 afflicted this part of the world. Great Britain 

 soon became involved in the dispute, and gra- 

 dually, not only bore the brunt of the war, but 

 was, by degrees, deserted by all her allies, and 

 at last left alone to wage war against all the world. 

 Hence the intercourse between the men of 

 science in Great Britain and on the continent 

 was gradually interrupted. This, together with 

 the little attention paid to German literature 

 in this country, prevented us from being aware 

 of the labours of Richter. My first knowledge 

 of them was derived from a note in Berthollet's 

 Statique Chimique, published in 1803, and I 

 found it impossible to procure a copy till after 

 the battle of Waterloo. 



III. The notice in Berthollefs Statique Chi- 

 mique, would probably have speedily drawn the 

 attention of our countrymen to this most impor- 



* f first views 



tant department of chemistry, had not the genius respecting 



r T\ i A. i i i .the atomic 



oi Dalton led him to a much more general view theory. 



