106 David Forbes — Reply to Dr. T. Sterry Hunt. 



no Geologist whosoever could in applying the study of Chemistry to 

 the explanation of the phenomena of his science ever by any possi- 

 bility have arrived at such sweeping generalizations. 



When the safety of Kome was endangered by the victories of Han- 

 nibal, the advice of Scipio to the Romans was to save Eome by 

 attacking Carthage ; and the papers of Dr. Hunt in the Chemical News 

 of Jan. 17, and the Geological Magazine of Feb. 1st, evidently 

 prove that he is determined to pursue a similar course ; yet I confi- 

 dently trust with a different result, since in this case I believe the 

 forces at command are fully adequate, both for offence as well as for 

 defence. 



In this discussion, however, much more trouble is likely to be 

 caused to me by the method in which Dr. Hunt carries on his scientific 

 warfare, and which seems to partake of the character of the country 

 in which he resides, where the Indian system used to be, to worry 

 out the enemy by skirmishing, but never to attack strong points ; 

 and the history both of scientific discussion as well as of nations has 

 shown how very effective such a plan of operations may prove, even 

 in the defence of a very weak cause. 



For this reason, therefore, I have considered it wise to keep the 

 main points under consideration as prominently in view as possible, 

 and if possible not to allow the discussion to become so diffuse as to 

 risk losing sight of them, which I fear the readers of Dr. Hunt's long 

 communication may be likely to do. Acting upon this determina- 

 tion, therefore, I have in my reply to Dr. Hunt's paper in the Chemical 

 News of Jan. 17, which also appeared in the Geological Magazine 

 of Feb. 1, given a plain and concise statement of the points, num- 

 bered 1 to 9, in which I have presumed to differ from Dr. Hunt's 

 views ; and as I now find nothing in his subsequent communication 

 to the Geological Magazine of February 1 which could in any way 

 tend to shake my conviction of the unsoundness of these points, I 

 must be content to wait until Dr. Hunt may condescend to bring 

 forward new evidence in their defence. 



If now, however, after a perusal of Dr. Hunt's paper in the 

 February number of the Geological Magazine, it is compared 

 with his preceding communication in the Chemical News, it will be 

 perceived, as the Editor of the Geological Magazine has already 

 observed, to be to a great extent the same, and in many parts even 

 verbatim ; and remembering Dr. Hunt's puerile accusation, that I, 

 "for some unknown reason, withheld from the readers of the 

 Chemical Neios'" matter which I published in the pages of the 

 Geological Magazine, it is amusing to observe that Dr. Hunt 

 has in like manner reserved for the readers of the Geological 

 Magazine several interesting observations which probably he may 

 have considered (and with some reason) as beyond the capacity of 

 the chemists who patronize the Chemical News, — among others, 

 for example, the following : ''As for the noble metals, whose com- 

 pounds with oxygen are decomposed at elevated temperatures, their 

 great volatility, as compared with earthy and metallic oxides, would 

 keep them in the gaseous form till the last stage of precipitation of 



