74 ~27 The Secret Liji of Naturebe star shaped. The five Platonic solids-the only completely regular
solid geometric figures in nature-were all to be found in the
theosophists' archetypal atoms and molecules. None of this, however,
could be corroborated by contemporary physicists, stdl waiting for the
development of X rays, the electron microscope, and supercolliders.
The result of the theosophists' work was published by Annie Besant
in 1908 in a series of papers in The Theosophist, followed by the first edl-
tion of Occult Chemistry. A further twenty elements were studled by
Besant and Leadbeater at the headquarters of the Theosophcal Society
in Adyar, Madras, and a second edition was published in 1919. It was
edlted by Janarajadasa, who amusingly describes a party of theosophists
moving off into the woods with rugs and cushions every afternoon
when the weather was fine so that Leadbeater and Besant could make
their siddhi investigations whde the others sat around listening or read-
ing. By 1933, the year before Leadbeater died, all the then known ele-
ments-&om hydrogen to uranium-and several unknown isotopes had
been studled and depicted, along with an assortment of compounds.
Besant's drawings are stdl in Adyar, mounted in a special book, as are
Leadbeater's drawings, all with the relevant correspondence. From ths
material Janarajadasa put together the 1951 edition of Occult Chemistry.
Yet the book was totally disregarded by the scientific community.
And because it claimed to show particles far smaller than protons, a
concept at that time hopelessly at odds with orthodox science, the book
could safely be disregarded as fantasy. Also, as Professor Smith points out,
few physicists had even heard of O~ult Chemistry. Books by theosophists
were read mostly by theosophists, few of whom had the training in or-
thodox physics required to support their beleaguered colleagues.
When Janarajadasa was asked what he could do to remedy the situ-
ation, he answered, "Nothing. Wait until science catches up."'
- In a letter to Professor E N.Aston, inventor of the mass spectrograph, an instru-
ment for detecting isotopes, Janarajadasa had pointed out that Besant and Leadbeater
had discovered the neon-zz isotope four years before neon was found scientifically
to have an isotope and that the helium-3 isotope announced by Aston in 1942 had
been described in 711e Theosophist as early as 1908.Aston sent back a cursory reply:
"Dr. Aston thanks Mr. Janarajadasa for sending his communication ofJanuary 8 and
begs to return same without comment as he is not interested inTheosophy."