HI8T0EY OF THE ATOMIC THEOET. 165 



that cinnabar contains sulphur in the proportion of 65 to 240 

 of quicksilver, or 65 grains of sulphur united with 240 of 

 quicksilver, are to be met with in 305 grains of cinnabar, 

 therefore 26 J grains of sulphur are contained in 125 J of cin- 

 nabar. This quantity of cinnabar, as regards its sulphur, 

 will be sufficient for the decomposition of half an ounce of luna 

 cornua, 



; " But we must inquire if 125J grains of cinnabar contain 

 as much quicksilver as will be sufficient to take in the muriatic 

 acid which is saturated with the silver. Half an ounce of luna 

 cornua contains 53 tV grains of muriatic acid of greatest 

 concentration. In half an ounce of the caustic sublimate there 

 are 58^ grains of the strongest acid, which is saturated with 

 174 grains of quicksilver. From this proportion it is found 

 that 53 tV grains of the strongest muriatic acid are required 

 for 159l grains quicksilver. Now as there are in cinnabar 

 240 grains of quicksilver united with 65 grains of sulphur, 

 159f grains of quicksilver require 43 j} grains of sulphur. 

 Both together give nearly 202^ grains of cinnabar. Conse- 

 quently, from 125^ grains of cinnabar, all the muriatic acid 

 found in the luna cornua is not separated. We see from this 

 that the muriatic acid of the lunar caustic rises in sublimation 

 with the quicksilver out of the 202^ grains of cinnabar as a 

 caustic sublimate, whilst the silver remains united only with 

 80 much sulphur as it found in 125^ grains of cinnabar.'* 



His smallest parts of bodies are not atoms, but molecules 

 rather, or particles, as they change their form. 



He has made a theory of affinity, and attempted to repre- 

 sent the force by a number. To attempt to give the numerical 

 or dynamical ratio of every body to each other was an object 

 of the very highest kind, and we must look on him as one of 

 those less fortunate men who, when search was required in 

 every direction, has had the misfortune to have the wrong one 

 assigned to him. He searched in the direction of time, and 

 obtained a manifest fallacy ; as bodies are constituted abstractly 



