SCIENCE AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE SIR,—Dr. Magnus Pyke in his
review of Professor Read's book Through Alchemy to Chemistry seems to overestimate the difference between the modes of thinking in what we may loosely call scientific and pre-scientific times.
It may be worth pointing out that although `hypothesis' was a bad word when Newton lived, and although Newton said 'hypotheses non fingo,' this did not prevent him from spending a great deal of time and energy in the study of alchemy. This is a fact difficult to reconcile with Dr. Pyke's general line of thought.
Finally, Professor Read is justified in his claim for the educative value of the history of science. At a time when the centre of gravity of school and university studies is moving more and more into the field of science it will be well to recognise the fact and modify our courses accordingly.—Yours faith- fully,
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