MODERN METHODS OF SCIENCE. 589 
gates a great variety of compounds that exhibit most curious 
4 analogies in all their properties. Take for instance soda and 
a potash — how identical in almost all their properties, and their 
2 compounds arraying themselves in identically the same form, de- 
i. fying almost all the senses to detect. their difference: if they be 
brought into relation with other elements, they associate them- 
selves with these elements in identically the same way. The 
same is true in relation to baryta-and strontia, or chlorine, bro- 
mine and iodine; the last three elements even show most curious 
numerical relations in regard to their combining proportions. 
And then when we pass to the mineral kingdom, what a wonder- 
ful property is that isomorphism in the chemistry of Nature’s 
operations ! 
The chemist, with all these facts before him, has as much right 
to revel in the imaginary formation of sodium from potassium, or 
iodine and bromine from chlorine, by a process of development, 
and call it science, as the naturalist has to.revel in many of his 
wild speculations, or the physicist who studies the stellar space 
to imagine it permeated by mind as well as light — mind such as 
has formed the poet, the statesman, or the philosopher. 
Yet any chemist who would quit his method of investigation, of 
marking every foot of his advance by some indelible imprint, and 
go back to the speculations of Albertus Magnus, Roger Bacon, 
and other alchemists of former ages, would soon be dropped from 
the list of chemists and ranked with dreamers and speculators. 
To prove the truth of my assertion, that this is the legitimate 
result of this school of philosophy, I will quote from one of its 
disciples, F. W. Clarke. He says: ‘ When one is fairly started 
on a line of thought it is hard to come to an end. If we assume 
an hypothesis to be true, a hundred others rush in upon the mind 
and demand consideration. We do not know but that the evolu- 
tion of one element from another may be possible. The demon- 
Strated unity of force leads us by analogy to expect a similar 
nity of eb Those elements which seem to-day so diverse in 
may be after all one in essence; at present it can 
neither be discarded as false nor accepted as true 
What is most remarkable in connection with the above opinion 
_is that the author of it is commenting on matter, in connection 
With the spectroscope, an instrament whose very triumphs are 
ased on the grand distinguishing lines in the elements of matter, 
