112 Literary and Philosophical Society. 



separated from those acids or other accidental substances 

 that are combined with it resists every power we possess 

 to produce any further decomposition, and yet differs in all 

 or any of its properties from the other known earths, may 

 be admitted to form a new genus.' But even he fails soon 

 in his reasoning, and when discussing the production of sea 

 salt and nitre forgets the strong individuality he has 

 already given to the elements, and makes them grow ; at 

 least, it is so of nitric acid and potash. * But it may be 

 said that, in the one both the alkaline and acid parts of 

 the salt are formed ; whereas in the other the acid only is 

 produced on the beds, and it is necessary to add an alkaline 

 salt to constitute the basis of the nitre. I cannot, however, 

 allow of the force of this objection. Though the addition 

 of the alkali be necessary in these northern latitudes, yet in 

 warmer climates, where nature is more vigorous and active, 

 there is no doubt but the former one develops both the acid 

 and alkali of nitre at the same time.' Dr. Wall, in vol. ii. 

 p. 'j']^ says *that the vegetable alkali (potash) is produced 

 by the operation of nature only in the putrefaction of vege- 

 tables.' 



It is interesting to view this mode of reasoning. There 

 is a clear idea of development in this case, or rather the 

 passage of one element so-called into another, a thoroughly 

 alchemistic idea, if not an idea common to Druidism, or 

 of witchcraft, and the earliest magic, when the change of 

 one thing into another showed that no exact idea existed 

 as to the quality of matter or of any permanent nature of 

 things. If, as in an Egyptian or an Irish tale, a human 

 being can turn into a cow, a tree, or a splinter of wood, the 

 essence of things is not in the matter but in the spiritual 

 character. Things are viewed as we view the character 



