Excerpt from Chemistry for SchoolsDuring the last decade an animal discussion has been carried on in the scientific literature as to the proper place of the atomic and molecular hypotheses in chemistry; and the conviction is rapidly gaining ground that these hypotheses should be excluded altogether from the earlier stages of instruction and should be introduced only after the pupil has acquired familiarity with the fundamental conceptions and quantitative laws of the science. In this way only is it possible to achieve that distinction between fact and hypotheses so long recognized as necessary to clear thinking.Some time ago Messrs. Gage and Company asked us to prepare a book on chemistry treated from this point of view. We felt ourselves unable to comply; we were unwilling to be financially interested in a book, the very necessity of which might be, or might seem to be, traceable to ourselves, that is, to new methods of treatment or new branches of chemistry recommended by us for the curriculum.When, however, Mr. Mills had prepared the manuscript for a text-book and asked us to revise it, then, since we have a great interest in the teaching of chemistry in the schools of Ontario, we could not refuse his request, and have accordingly done our best, in the limited time at our disposal, by revising and rearranging the subject matter, to bring the book into accord with modern views and to reduce the hypothetical element to a minimum.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com