MacCullagh was forced to admit, what was clearly the truth, that although conical refraction could be deduced from his theorems he had only made that deduction after Hamilton had announced the discovery.
MacCullagh ay sapilitang sa umamin, kung ano ang noon ay malinaw na ang katotohanan, na kahit korteng kono repraksyon ay maaaring deduced mula sa kanyang mga theorems niya lang na ginawa matapos aawas Hamilton had inihayag ang pagkatuklas.