262 Scientific Reviews. 



of course assumed. Two of these tetrahedrons united by two planes 

 form a double triangular pyramid, which is the base of all ponder- 

 able matter. This figure is called a bi-pyramid ; the central part, 

 where the bases of the pyramids meet, is called the equator, and 

 the apices of the pyramids are the poles of the figure. 



Now, having obtained this element, the forms of the diiFerent 

 kinds of matter are deduced in the following way : — 



Hydrogen. " Of all known bodies, we naturally expect to find 

 that hydrogen gas possesses the most simple structure. Every cir- 

 cumstance induces the belief that it is more immediately connected 

 with the radiant medium than any other. Now, of all the combi- 

 nations of the atoms of matter, none is so immediately obvious as 

 that produced by two atoms applied base to base. This is a par- 

 ticle of hydrogen gas, — its atomic weight is two !" 



Water. " When six particles of hydrogen unite by their equa- 

 tors, there results a senate molecule of most admirable symmetry. 

 This senate molecule of -hydrogen is a particle of water. That 

 water consists entirely of hydrogen, may be shown by decomposing 

 it in a very highly electro-negative medium, adverse to the deve- 

 lopment of an electro-negative form." The atomic weight of water 

 is consequently 12. But it " often aggregates into ternate mo- 

 lecules. * Next to this there is the septenate molecule, which con- 

 sists of a particle in the centre, with six around it, one on each of 

 its edges. But that which performs the most important part in 

 the economy of nature is the senate molecule, which results from 

 the approach of six, and contains in the centre a hexagonal pore. — 

 A double molecule, in which one particle is above another, the poles 

 not being in contact, also frequently occurs." After all this, we 

 are astonished in the following page to find the following : — " A 

 single particle of water is, doubtless, very much too small for be- 

 ing seen, so that we cannot obtain sensible evidence that it pos- 

 sesses the form which is here assigned to it !" Why, one would 

 have thought he had actually seen, as he has assisted in getting up, 

 these forms ; and yet the proof of the whole is, that when built up 

 according to a certain fashion of Mr. M 'Vicar's, these aqueous par- 

 ticles constitute forms similar to those observed by Mr. Scoresby 

 and others in snow-flakes and crystals of ice. 



Oxygen. When by any means a particle of hydrogen is driven 

 out from the circle of six which constitute water, the circle is of 

 course diminished to five particles, and the " spendyloid form which 

 results is named oxygen. Its atomic weight is 10." For this no 

 proof is pretended to be given ; but it is assumed, we suppose, that 

 water, consisting of six particles of hydrogen, if we take away one, 

 the remaining five must of course constitute oxygen, because water 

 is decomposable into oxygen and hydrogen. But our author has 



• In the language of this work a particle is synonymous to the chemical atom, 

 — « molecule is made up of several particles. 



