X 



THE SUCCESSORS OF GALILEO IN PHYSICAL 

 SCIENCE 



WE have now to witness the diversified efforts of a 

 company of men who, working for the most part 

 independently, greatly added to the data of the physi- 

 cal sciences such men as Boyle, Huygens, Von 

 Gericke, and Hooke. It will be found that the studies 

 of these men covered the whole field of physical sciences 

 as then understood the. field of so-called natural phi- 

 losophy. We shall best treat these successors of Galileo 

 and precursors of Newton somewhat biographically, 

 pointing out the correspondences and differences be- 

 tween their various accomplishments as we proceed. 

 It will be noted in due course that the work of some of 

 them was anticipatory of great achievements of a later 

 century. 



ROBERT BOYLE (1627-1691) 



Some of Robert Boyle's views as to the possible 

 structure of atmospheric air will be considered a little 

 farther on in this chapter, but for the moment we will 

 take up the consideration of some of his experiments 

 upon that as well as other gases. Boyle was always 

 much interested in alchemy, and carried on extensive 

 experiments in attempting to accomplish the trans- 

 mutation of metals; but he did not confine himself to 



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