HISTORY OF THE ATOMIC THEOKY. 273 



In 1836 the pension was increased to £300, but two years 

 previously his brother Jonathan died, leaving for him as 

 heir the paternal estate, which now made him comparatively 

 wealthy. He, however, according to his strength, still con- 

 tinued working. So late as 1840 he published four essays, 

 with the title " On the Phosphates and Arseniates ; Microcos- 

 mic Salt; Acids, Bases, and Water; and a New and Easy 

 Method of Analysing Sugar." 



Here we have another instance of his old method of striking 

 roughly in a new direction, and deciding at once on the whole 

 district, little caring who was to come after to examine. He 

 says, p. 10, "The new method of ascertaining the quantity 

 of water in the salts is now to be discussed. I have a bottle 

 with a stopper which just contains 572 grains of pure water, 

 when the stopper is put on and wiped clean and dry, at the 

 temperature of 60° Fahr. A graduated tube or jar is necessary, 

 of 5in. or 6in. long and one quarter of an inch in diameter, 

 to measure exactly to a grain of water. A platina wire is 

 appended to the neck of the bottle, so as to be weighed more 

 conveniently. An ounce, more or less, is to be weighed of 

 any salt ; it is then to be put into the bottle, capable of con- 

 taining 572 grains of pure water (the water having been 

 carefully tansferred into another glass vessel of more ample 

 dimensions), and the salt dissolved and carefully transferred 

 and weighed in the 572 bottle again, and the spare liquor, if 

 any, is to be put into the narrow graduated tube. 



" We have then 572 of pure water, + the pure water of 

 the salt 4- the solid (or liquid water of the salt whatever it 

 may be), all together in a liquid form, in the bottle and the 

 narrow tube. I was greatly surprised at the results. If the 

 salt was anhydrous, it would all go into the bottle exactly 

 filling it to a grain ; showing that the salt enters the pores of 

 the water. 



" If the salt contained water, the quantity of water was 



2N 



