diff --git a/src/atom.cpp b/src/atom.cpp
index 7cc7f1c8ca..0574dc5465 100644
--- a/src/atom.cpp
+++ b/src/atom.cpp
@@ -1754,6 +1754,19 @@ void Atom::allocate_type_labels()
   delete [] char_type;
 }
 
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+   find integer type given a type label
+   return -1 if type not yet defined
+------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+int Atom::find_type(char *typelabel, char **typelabelarray, int num_types)
+{
+  for (int i = 0; i < num_types; i++) {
+    if (typelabelarray[i] && strcmp(typelabel,typelabelarray[i]) == 0) return i+1;
+  }
+  return -1;
+}
+
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    set a mass and flag it as set
    called from reading of data file
diff --git a/src/atom.h b/src/atom.h
index ad2834a9f7..a4cb651d8a 100644
--- a/src/atom.h
+++ b/src/atom.h
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ class Atom : protected Pointers {
 
   virtual void allocate_type_arrays();
   void allocate_type_labels();
+  int find_type(char *, char **, int);
   void set_mass(const char *, int, const char *, int);
   void set_mass(const char *, int, int, double);
   void set_mass(const char *, int, int, char **);