An essay on the ultimate principles of chemistry, natural philosophy, and physiology : deduced from the distribution of matter into two classes or kinds, and from other sources / by Lardner Vanuxem.

  • Vanuxem, Lardner, 1792-1848.
Date:
1827
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the ultimate principles of chemistry, natural philosophy, and physiology : deduced from the distribution of matter into two classes or kinds, and from other sources / by Lardner Vanuxem. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    ESSAY. In the investigation of nature, man seems to take for granted, that all phenomena depend on compli- cated and recondite causes; and hence, what other- wise would he obvious, is overlooked, and truth generally is sought |3£F, hot where it is to be found, but in recesses too obscure to admit of the least discovery. The history of the progress of every branch of science, is an illustration of this remark. Analysis, or the ^analytical method, is the only infallible guide in the field of research: where it terminates, synthesis, or classification, should take its place. In this way, the progress of knowledge is certain; and with their aid, time alone is wanting, to make known to us all that nature can reveal. These remarks are given, for the purpose of pointing out the method which has been pursued, in investigating the subject of the following pages; and whatever merit they may possess, that merit is due to the method here mentioned. The distribution of matter into two classes or kinds, now proposed, is founded upon the most ob- vious, and the most important distinctive character- istics exhibited by those particles, which have long