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CONTENTS
vii
Porosity of gold—Opinions of Newton and Herschel—Hidden truths— Relative weights of the ultimate particles—John Dalton— The atomic theory of chemistry—Celestial atomspp. 65—74
The philosopher's stone—Ancient and modern alchemy—The mysterious unknown—Liebig's remarks on the true philosopher's stone—The laboratory of the modern alchemist—Aluminium—Ultramarine—The wonders that may yet be performed by the alchemist—Transmutation—Like and unlike—Charcoal, graphite and diamond—Different forms assumed by sulphur—Amorphous phosphorus—Ozone—Modern alchemists true descendants of the old gold-seekerspp. 75—87
The influence of the sunbeam—Theories that have been advanced to explain the nature of light—Velocity of light—Decomposition of the sunbeam—The prismatic spectrum—Influence of light over the animal and vegetable kingdoms—The Proteus anguinus—Distribution of animals in the ocean—Plants grown in the dark—Heat—Dispersion of the heat-rays—Effects of heat—Actinism— Blackening of horn silver—Inorganic bodies sleep during the night—Germination of seeds—Photographypp. 89—102
The structure of the human eye—Herschel's remarks on this wonderful organ—Why two eyes are better than one—An invisible pair of compasses—Two eyes required to obtain a true conception of solidity—The stereoscope—Double vision—Single visionpp. 103—111
