SuttonM. A., “Spectroscopy, historiography and myth: The Victorians vindicated”, History of science, xxiv (1986), 425–32.
2.
JamesF. A. J. L., “The creation of a Victorian myth: The historiography of spectroscopy”, History of science, xxiii (1985), 1–24.
3.
SuttonM. A., “Spectroscopy and the chemists: A neglected opportunity?”, Ambix, xxiii (1976), 16–26.
4.
SuttonM. A., “Sir John Herschel and the development of spectroscopy in Britain”, The British journal for the history of science, vii (1974), 42–60. Sutton, op. cit. (ref. 1), 428 claims that I have ignored this paper. However, I did cite it (James, op. cit. (ref. 2), 1) with the rider that it would be repetitious to make similar comments on each of Sutton's writings. See, however, the following note.
5.
To take a few examples: MelvillThomas reported in 1752 in “Observations on light and colours”, Essays and observations, physical and literary, ii (1756), 12–90 that a bright yellow spot was observed when a flame burning a solution of salt in alcohol was examined by a prism. Sutton writes op. cit. (ref. 4), 43 that Melvill “offered no explanation, and did not suggest that the observation might be of use in chemical analysis”. Referring to the early work on monochromatic light of Fraunhofer, Brewster and Herschel, Sutton commented (ibid., 45) that “none of them suggested that the effect [line spectra] might be of use in chemistry”. In referring to Herschel'sJ. F. W.1827“Light”, Encyclopedia metropolitana, ii (1828), 341–586, Sutton stated op. cit. (ref. 4), 48 that in art. 409 “Herschel sets out clearly the empirical basis for both chemical and astronomical spectroscopy”. Thus he says later (ibid., 49) that “it would have been sufficient for them [chemists] to use and extend the data already given by Herschel and Talbot on the identification of elements by their spectra”.
6.
JamesF. A. J. L., “The discovery of line spectra”, Ambix, xxxii (1985), 53–70.
7.
JamesF. A. J. L., “The debate on the nature of the absorption of light, 1830–1835: A core-set analysis”, History of science, xxi (1983), 335–68.
8.
James, op. cit. (ref. 2), 6–8. For fuller discussion of each of these topics see JamesF. A. J. L.: “The study of spark spectra, 1835–1859”, Ambix, xxx (1983), 137–62; “The conservation of energy, theories of absorption and resonating molecules, 1851–1854: G. G. Stokes, A. J. Ångström and W. Thomson”, Notes and records of the Royal Society of London, xxxviii (1983), 79–107; “Thermodynamics and sources of solar heat, 1846–1862”, The British journal for the history of science, xv (1982), 155–81.
9.
Sutton, op. cit. (ref. 1), 427.
10.
JamesF. A. J. L., “The establishment of spectro-chemical analysis as a practical method of qualitative analysis, 1854–1861”, Ambix, xxx (1983), 30–53. BunsenR. and KirchhoffG., “Chemische Analyse durch Spectralbeobachtungen”, Poggendorff Annalen der Physik und Chemie, cx (1860), 161–89, translated into English as “Chemical analysis by spectrumobservations”, Philosophical magazine, xx (1860), 89–109.
11.
James, op. cit. (ref. 10).
12.
Ibid. and James, op. cit. (ref. 2), 8–10.
13.
For example, KirchhoffG.: “Ueber die Winkel der optischen Axen des Aragonits für die verschiedenen Fraunhofer'schen Linien”, Poggendorff Annalen der Physik und Chemie, cviii (1859), 567–75; “Ueber das Sonnenspektrum”, Verhandlungen des Naturhistorischmedizinischen Vereins zu Heidelberg, (1859), 251–5; “Ueber das Zusammenhang zwischen Emission und Absorption von Licht und Wärme”, Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, (1859), 783–7.
14.
Sutton, op. cit. (refs 3 and 4), and Spectroscopy and the structure of matter: A study in the development of physical chemistry (D.Phil, thesis, University of Oxford, 1972).
15.
Sutton, op. cit. (ref. 1), 427–8.
16.
ibid., 428.
17.
ibid.
18.
ibid.
19.
SiegelD. M., “Balfour Stewart and Gustav Kirchhoff: Two independent approaches to ‘Kirchhoff's radiation law’”, Isis, lxvii (1976), 565–600.
