A few papers on foreign pharmacy and other subjects / by Joseph Ince.

  • Ince, Joseph
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A few papers on foreign pharmacy and other subjects / by Joseph Ince. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    literature, belong to the pleasant recollections of the past. Let us not, however led away by even the pretti- ness of circumstance, for a moment lose sight of Dalton’s real claim to honour, namely, his discoveries in science. A popular sketch necessarily shuts out the exhibition of those careful, minute, deeply-studied investigations, to which all original philosophers owe their reputation. Those who would wish to penetrate a little beneath the surface, cannot do better than consult the concise, intelligible Essay on the Atomic Theory, by Dr. Henry, given in the middle of the work. As Dalton’s claim to priority of thought has been occasionally denied, it is as well to see what were the views entertained on the subject previous to his time, how far he availed himself of the anticipations of others, and to what extent he may be fairly credited with working out for himself the great doctrine on which his life was engaged. Time was more favourable to Dalton than to another great mathematician, Hutton, who has recorded his opinion in his autobiography that it produces nothing but rags and children. The quiet Friend fared better in his generation: the Royal Society elected him a Fellow, Oxford gave him her honours, Chantrey a statue, and the Government a pension, whilst his countrymen re- garded him, even in his lifetime, as a sort of patron saint. Now that the grave has claimed him he may rest in peace, without the fear of his reputation being snatched away by the spell of the euphonious name of Higgins. A man who spent the energies of a whole career on the elucidation of one sole object, could not be said to