SPECULATIONS ON PHYSICAL SCIENCE 8/ 



tioned in the principal histories of chemistry. He 

 made no experiments, but depended upon his imagi- 

 nation for his facts; he opposed the tenets of the 

 new French school founded by Lavoisier, and pro- 

 posed a fanciful scheme of abstract principles that 

 remind one of alchemy. 



" Cuvier, in his Eloge {M^moires Acad. Royale des 

 Sciences, 1832), estimates Lamarck correctly as re- 

 spects his position in physical science." 



Lamarck boldly carried the principle of change and 

 evolution into inorganic nature by the same law of 

 change of circumstances producing change of species. 



Under the head, " De I'espfece parmi les mindraux," 

 p. 149, the author states that he had for a long time 

 supposed that there were no species among minerals. 

 Here, also, he doubts, and boldly, if not rashly, in 

 this case, opposes accepted views, and in this field, 

 as elsewhere, shows, at least, his independence of 

 thought. 



" They teach in Paris," he says, " that the integrant 

 molecule of each kind of compound is invariable in 

 nature, and consequently that it is as old as nature, 

 hence, mineral species are constant. 



" For myself, I declare that I am persuaded, and 

 even feel convinced, that the integrant molecule of 

 every compound substance whatever, may change its 

 nature, namely, may undergo changes in the number 

 and in the proportions of the principles which cqm- 



He enlarges on this subject through eight pages. 

 He was evidently led to take this view from his as- 

 sumption that everything, every natural object, or- 

 ganic or inorganic, undergoes a change. But it may 



