496 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



for itself being of such intensity that when freed from other 

 radicles it at once polymerises, giving rise to dimethylene or 

 ethene (ethylene), H 2 C = CH 2 . It is to be supposed that 

 hydrone behaves in a similar manner: that is to say, that when 

 it becomes liquid water it gives rise to a series of polyhydrones 

 corresponding to the polymethylenes, thus : 



OH. OH, 



OH., H.O — OH, HoO OH 2 H.,0 OH, 



/\ II II "II 



H 2 = OH 2 H,0 — OH, H,0 — OH 2 H.,0 — OH 2 H,0 OH 2 



OH 



Dihydrone Trihydrone Tetrhydrone Penthydrone Hexhydrone 



In addition, interaction probably takes place in the manner 

 pictured by the expression 



H 2 + H . OH = H : 0/ (Hydronol) 



\)H 



And it is both conceivable and indeed probable that still longer 

 hydronol chains are also formed, such as 



H 

 H 2 0<^/H 



OH H 



\y 



OH 



\ 

 OH 



In short, the picture to be formed of the state of water is 

 that of a complex mixture of molecules of the general composition 

 (OH 2 ) x , x having many values, the proportion in which various 

 kinds of molecules are present being determined by the external 

 conditions (temperature and pressure). But although quiet in 

 appearance, the internal condition of the liquid must be sup- 

 posed to be one of unceasing turmoil, owing to the perpetual 

 passage backwards and forwards of the various molecules from 

 one state of complexity into another, as summarised in the 

 expression 



(H 2 0)x ^ *0H 2 



As to the activities of the various molecules, there must 

 be great differences between them. The hydrone molecules 



