ON tHE SIGMIFICATrON OF CHEMICAL .^EaMS. 85 



been so fortunate as to meet with his definition of the iii- 

 quulified term particle. He has however given the Best 

 definition 1 have yet seen of integrant particles, ** The caU 

 careous spar, to take it as an example, may be reduced to 

 a particle, beyond which the division cannot be carried with- 

 out resolvinjTj it into its elements, lime and carbonic acid ; 

 or, at least, it may be reduced to a particle, beyond which, 

 if its minuteness allowed us to operate upon it, it is de- 

 monstrable its figure would not change. To these last 

 particles, the result of the mechanical analysis, Haijy gives 

 the name of integrant particles, and their union constitutes 

 the crystal.*' Ste CHi^mistry, 1st edit. vbl. i, page 56. 

 Agsiin, oii iiifegraiit and constituent particles,'*' the consti- 

 tuent or component parts are substances differing in their •; 

 nature from each other, and from the substances they form. 

 The integrant parts are precisely similar to each other, and 

 to the general mass, whtch is composed by their union; or 

 they are mereli/ the smallest particles into which a substancie 

 can be resolved without decomposition; while decomposi- 

 tion • 19 ifways ' i m |>lied i n 'the di visioH of a body into in 

 constituent particle^. The integi-arit parts lire united by 

 the force of aggregation, the constituent parts by chemical 

 affinity,-* &c. All this is more than perspicuous; it is ex'- 

 celleat; arid fr-otri the familiar manner in Which Mr. Mur- 

 ray introduce* "the smallest particles, into which a sub- 

 stance can be resolved without decomposition," and from 

 the precise definition of them, one would be iuciined to 

 believe the author was going to say somtithing mOre about 

 thena in the sequel; but he scarcely mentions them again, 

 while the unqualified term particles is perpetually intro- 

 duced. 



Dr. Henry adopts the common distinction of ttie'dtlrac- Henry's Ch«. 

 tion of aggregation, and that of composition, or affinity. °^"'^y- 

 *♦ In simple bodies, therefore, the cohesive affinity alon^ is 

 exerted; but compounds are influenced By both affinities, 

 itheir constituent or dissimilar parts being united by chemi- 

 pl affinity, and their integrant or similar parts by the affi- 



Jity of aggregation." Chemistry, 6th ed. vol. i, page 52. 

 le does not however clearly define integrant parts; it is not 

 iufficieat to say, that ** a lump of copper may be considered 



as 



