13 
1885.J Recent Developments of Chemical Science. 
We can only wish that the distinguished mathematician 
would once more apply his talents and influence to secure 
the early theoretical and visual discovery of the two still 
unknown great planets of the solar system. 
II. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF CHEMICAL 
SCIENCE. 
f EVEN years ago we ventured to insert in the “Journal 
of Science ” a paper bearing the somewhat ambitious 
title “ The Chemistry of the Future.” In that paper 
emphasis was laid on the unsatisfactory state of our know- 
ledge concerning the simple bodies or so-called “elements,” 
and attention was called to certain lines of research which 
promised to throw further light upon this difficult though 
interesting question. Of these investigations two seemed 
to offer direCt evidence that the elements are not primor- 
dially distinct bodies, but compounds of a smaller number 
of elements of a higher order, or perhaps have even been 
formed by the “ expansion ” * of one aboriginal principle. 
We refer here, in the first place, to the researches of Prof. 
Victor Meyer on the halogens — chlorine, bromine, and 
iodine. The phenomena observed by this chemist seemed 
to admit of the conclusion that, given a sufficiently high 
temperature, bromine and iodine might be resolved into 
chlorine. But this prospeCt has since faded away. It is 
generally admitted that Prof. V. Meyer’s experiments afford 
no conclusive proof that either bromine or iodine has under- 
gone incipient decomposition. It is needless to add that in 
such a matter, where the temptation to indulge in hypothesis 
is naturally so strong, nothing short of absolute demonstra- 
tion can be accepted as satisfactory. 
The second line of investigation, which it was hoped 
might supply evidence of the decomposition of some of our 
ordinary elements, has fared little better. The speCtroscopic 
researches on the constitution of the sun and certain of the 
fixed stars — with which the names of Mr. Lockyer and Dr. 
* See Journal of Science for January, 1877, p. 26. 
