ATTRACTION. 
of affinity ; many of the effects of electric 
fire on affinity might be explained by this 
increased power of it when acting in a mass, 
or at farthest by supposing, that its power 
increased with its mass in a greater ratio 
than that of other substances. 
It lias been judiciously remarked, by a 
respectable chemical writer, that tiie varia- 
tion of intensity, which forms so remarka- 
ble a distinction between affinity and gra- 
vitation, may be only apparent, and not 
r eal, and may only arise from the much 
nearer approach which the parts of one sub- 
stance may be capable of, to those of a se- 
cond, than to those of a third ; and that thus 
it may be that barytes attracts sulphuric 
acid with greater intensity than potash, be- 
cause the particles of barytes, when they 
act upon the acid, are at a smaller distance 
from it than the particles of the potash; to 
which we shall add, that it is possible that 
the degree of insensible distance to which the 
parts of substances can approach, depends 
on the quantity of latent electric fire com- 
bined wjtii them, or in other words, on the 
degree of their relative attractions to elec- 
tric fire. 
This conjecture of the agency of electric 
fire, in elective attractions, has, at least, the 
advantage of the atomic theory, which has 
been advanced to account for the same 
phenomena, that it relates to matters which 
we know really exist, and which are not be- 
yond the bounds of hope, indeterminable 
by experiment. With all flue deference to 
tiie respectable characters who have used 
the atomic theory as an universal explainer, 
we beg leave to remind its admirers, that it 
is totally inconsistent with the laws of sound 
philosophy, to assume a fact as the basis of 
argument, which itself has never had the 
shadow of proof to support it, and which in 
its nature is incapable of experiment. It is 
idle, in tire present respectable state of 
science, to talk any more of atoms : as well 
may we again revive the dreams of the an- 
cients, about the materia subtilis ; or those 
of Des Cartes, relative to vortices, as to rea- 
son of the shape, form, nature, and proper- 
ties of atoms, which, from their very defini- 
tion, are merely visionary, and which, the 
moment we conceive them as having shape, 
lose their essential quality of indivisibility; 
it’ the existence of atoms cannot be dis- 
proved, that is no argument in favour of 
their existence, in the way usually supposed ; 
and the atomic theory has only this property 
in common with every oih|r which lies be- 
yond the reach of our senses. 
Judicial astrology, magic, and many other 
chimeras, cannot be disproved; but, at 
least since the great law of truth has been 
adopted for philosophy, that no argument 
was to be admitted in it that was not de- 
monstrable by experiment, or by proof 
equally satisfactory, mankind has ceased to 
be led astray by them. 
It is now high time either to banish the 
atomic theory into the same regions of obli- 
vion as the others above mentioned, or to 
prove the existence of the atoms on which it 
is founded ; but as this is in its nature an im- 
possibility, it is fobe hoped that tiie time is 
not far distant, when philosophers will cease 
to confound imaginary beings with real ex- 
istences, and when all that has been written 
of atoms, will be in no more esteem than 
the voluminous treatises de Pygmeis et 
Salamandris, which are to be found among 
the folios of some of our great academical 
libraries. 
It is true, that the atomic theory accounts 
plausibly for many things we otherwise 
must be content to own are as yet be- 
yond our knowledge ; this may be a con- 
venience to those wiio wish to impose on 
the ignorant ; but all true lovers of science 
will despise so paltry a resource, especially 
when so much is now known, tiiat we need 
no longer blush to own those points which 
are still involved in obscurity, and shew 
the boundaries on the map of science be- 
tween the regions of knowledge and the 
terra incognita of visionary theory. 
In the above respect of accounting for 
matters unknown, the ideal system of Bi- 
shop Berkley is equally powerful as, if not 
superior to, the atomic theory, and has the 
advantage over it, of turning our thoughts 
incessantly to the Almighty Author of all 
things ; for which reason, if we must have 
recourse to improved theories, Berkley’s 
very much deserve the preference. 
As to the more minute nature of bodies, 
we know that all mineral substances are re- 
solvable into small lamina; or spicula, of de- 
terminate shapes, which by their multifa- 
rious combinations produce the variously 
formed chrystals, which all mineral bodies 
may be resolved into by art, which most 
may be made to exhibit by skilful dissec- 
tion, and which so many shew naturally. 
Vegetable substances are resolvable into 
small fibres, as are likewise animal sub- 
stances for the most part : and from the 
laws of sound philosophy, we must consider 
the lamina; or spicula, which form the basis 
of crystallization, as tiie primary parts of 
