Abstract
THE field of research which has been opened up by the spectroscope is one with which we have so recently become familiar, that it may almost be said that twenty years ago, a course of lectures on the spectroscope would have been an impossibility. The instrument, as we now know it, was only then in embryo, and even at the present time, although immense strides are every day being made, the science of spectroscopy must still be considered in its infancy. And yet, so far as one can see now—it is always very easy to prophesy after the event—there seems very little reason why lectures on the spectroscope should not have been given two centuries ago; for nearly two centuries have elapsed since the immortal Newton made his classical researches on the action of a prism upon sunlight. You may, perhaps, be inclined to ask, how it could take 200 years for the knowledge of the prism, and of the wonders that can be worked by it, to become part and parcel of our common stock of information? If you ask me to explain this, I tell you candidly that I cannot; but there is this grain of comfort connected with it which none of us should forget: we may almost say for certain that Newton and his successors would have brought a great deal more out of the prism than they did, if they had given a little more attention to it, and had tortured it as they did other things; that those who follow us will point to us and say the same; they possibly will say that in the 19th century, men of science, in working and experimenting, saw a great many things, and chronicled them, but did not care to go any further with them. This is very true; and the result is, that work is not done which might be done if we were more receptive and original in our methods of investigation; that is to say, if we trusted Nature more and ourselves less.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
LOCKYER, J. On the Spectroscope and its Applications * . Nature 7, 125–128 (1872). https://doi.org/10.1038/007125a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/007125a0