This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1844 Excerpt: ... purposes or functions; the other, those which have no such distinction of parts or functions, but a structure and composition uniform throughout. The former also possess life in a greater or less degree, and consequently grow, exist for a definite period, and die or decay; whereas the latter are inanimate, properly ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1844 Excerpt: ... purposes or functions; the other, those which have no such distinction of parts or functions, but a structure and composition uniform throughout. The former also possess life in a greater or less degree, and consequently grow, exist for a definite period, and die or decay; whereas the latter are inanimate, properly neither grow nor decay, have no fixed duration, and no individuality of being. Thus, a tree has roots, branches, leaves, and flowers, an animal head, trunk, and limbs, each distinct and growing by an internal increase; whereas a stone, as a piece of chalk or flint, is uniform in every part, or exhibits mere accidental differences. The whole of inorganic nature is comprehended under the science of Mineralogy, taken in its widest sense. Even the earth itself, and its three great divisions of land, water, and atmosphere, form objects included in the mineral kingdom. Fart of this is, however, now considered under the science of Geology, which treats of rocks, their mode of origin and relations; whilst another part, regarding the form of the earth's surface and the distribution of its various parts, is the object of D Physical Geography. Mineralogy is now confined to a description of those inorganic bodies which are of uniform composition and possessed of a regular structure. Most minerals assume certain determinate angular forms, bounded by plane or straight lines, named crystals. These are seen in most cases where a mineral is formed from its solution in water, and also when melted sulphur and some metals are allowed to cool slowly. Each mineral species has a particular form which it assumes; as carbonate of lime that of a rhomb, fluor-spar of a cube and common quartz of a six-sided pyramid. In nature these crystals have very various and complicate...
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