284 THE GROUNDWORK OF SCIENCE

preponderating inorganic part of it is what we should take

as our norm, or standard of comparison, when endeavouring

to understand, as far as we may, the nature of its constitution

and laws. It is to the inorganic world we must address

ourselves if we would attain to the most comprehensive

view possible for us, of the order and method which domi-

nates and pervades nature. Such is especially the case since,

however we may be impressed by the probability that life

such as exists in this world exists also in others, we cannot

actually know that such is the case. But we do actually

know, by the aid of spectrum analysis, that the laws, pro-

perties, and species of inorganic substances, such as those

of our own earth, do extend into the remotest regions of the

cosmos which our telescopes enable us to explore.

What, then, is the order of nature revealed to us by the

inorganic world ?

Throughout that world and amongst the multitude of

mineral, and especially of crystalline, species which compose

it, most definite and ceaseless order reigns.

Each species has its own absolute internal constitution and

laws by which it continues to be, from age to age, just what

it is and no other, whether or not such stable substances

originally arose from diverse combinations of one primitive

matter.

And the changes which take place in that inorganic world

are all most definite and ruled by rigid laws. All the

various chemical combinations which can and do take place

are definite combinations. And only certain such combina-

tions are possible. Mix substances, compound or elementary,

as we may, we can only induce certain syntheses resulting in

new substances, and by no means a fresh substance for every

possible blend.

These various syntheses, moreover, can only take place

under certain definite conditions, and most frequently the

preponderating inorganic part of it is what we should take

as our norm, or standard of comparison, when endeavouring

to understand, as far as we may, the nature of its constitution

and laws. It is to the inorganic world we must address

ourselves if we would attain to the most comprehensive

view possible for us, of the order and method which domi-

nates and pervades nature. Such is especially the case since,

however we may be impressed by the probability that life

such as exists in this world exists also in others, we cannot

actually know that such is the case. But we do actually

know, by the aid of spectrum analysis, that the laws, pro-

perties, and species of inorganic substances, such as those

of our own earth, do extend into the remotest regions of the

cosmos which our telescopes enable us to explore.

What, then, is the order of nature revealed to us by the

inorganic world ?

Throughout that world and amongst the multitude of

mineral, and especially of crystalline, species which compose

it, most definite and ceaseless order reigns.

Each species has its own absolute internal constitution and

laws by which it continues to be, from age to age, just what

it is and no other, whether or not such stable substances

originally arose from diverse combinations of one primitive

matter.

And the changes which take place in that inorganic world

are all most definite and ruled by rigid laws. All the

various chemical combinations which can and do take place

are definite combinations. And only certain such combina-

tions are possible. Mix substances, compound or elementary,

as we may, we can only induce certain syntheses resulting in

new substances, and by no means a fresh substance for every

possible blend.

These various syntheses, moreover, can only take place

under certain definite conditions, and most frequently the