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XV. Remarks on the alleged ambiguihj, insvfficiency, and unne- 

 cessariness of the Atomic Theonj. By Alfred Tribe*. 



IT lias been observed by a great thinker '^ that those who con- 

 sider it simply the part of science to record results of ob- 

 servations, and not to endeavour to connect them with one 

 another, know not w'hat science is.^^ It may further be remarked 

 that facts, without some means of connecting them, do not con- 

 stitute science. The only means known at present by which 

 the numerous facts relating to the transformations of matter can 

 be connected is by w^hat is generally termed the atomic theory. 

 It matters little whether this fact-connector and mental help be 

 called theory, hypothesis, or the ^^ invention of a mechanical or 

 carpenter's mind;" there is no ignoring the historical facts that 

 its discovery threw light where utter darkness prevailed, and that 

 the vivid pictures (always in harmony) it enabled the mind to 

 create acted as a wonderful stimulus to the chemical explorer — 

 so much so, that the progress of his science prior to and since 

 its enunciation may well be compared to the sluggish flow of the 

 rivulet and the rapid motion of the mountain-torrent. 



The service which this simple but noble creation of a great 

 mind has done, is doing, and is destined to do induces me to 

 venture a few brief remarks on its alleged ambiguity, insuffi- 

 ciency, and unnecessariness. 



Ambiguity. — The theory is ambiguous, according to Dr. Wright, 

 because " the phraseology of the hypothesis of the existence of 

 atoms is employed by chemists in different senses.''^ Were this 

 more than the expression of an opinion based on isolated state- 

 ments of a few chemists, I should say at once lay the axe to the 

 tree that bears such evil fruit. But I should be glad to know 

 wdiat there is in this theory necessarily productive of ambiguity. 

 Is it beyond the power of ordinary intellects to comprehend ? I 

 know as a fact that youths of ordinary intelligence, from about 

 the ages of 14 to 18, experience no difficulty in understanding 

 its nature and its bearings. If teachers differently distort the 

 theory and their pupils accept these distortions, ambiguity may 

 result when the latter use its phraseology ; but this is the fault 

 of wrong teaching, not of the theory, and permits of ready rec- 

 tification by a pilgrimage to the fountain-head. 



Insufficiency. — Dr. Wright admits that several of the laws and 

 generalizations of chemistry are in accordance with the atomic 

 theory. He charges it, however, with insufficiency on the 

 grounds that '' it gives no clue to the explanation of the remark- 

 able approximate relationships existing between the numerical 

 values of the atomic weights, nor to the remarkable sequence in 

 * Comniunicated by the Author. 



