A 



JOURNAL 



OF 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMISTRY, 



AND 



THE ARTS* 



FEBRUARY, 1811. 



ARTICLE I. 



Inquiries concerning the Sigmfication of the tcord Particle, 

 as used by modern Chemical Writers, as well as concern^ 

 ing some other Terms and Phrases, By Mr, JoHN Dal- 

 TON. In a Letter from the Author, 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 

 Sir. ^ 



N perusing the modern books, which are edited under Meaning of 

 the titles of Elements or Systems o\' Chemistry, I have been chemical ternis 

 greatly perplexed in endeavouring to understand the mean- "'*'^*^^***' 

 ing, which the authors attach to certain words and phrases, 

 which are of perpetual occurrence, particularly when treat* 

 ing of ajjinityi but which the authors no where define. I 

 allude more especially to the word particle. 



With respect to the article a^7nty itself it is somewhat Affinity, 

 lemarkable, that different authors should view it in such 

 different lights. Lavoi«ier in his Elements of Cheniisirj 

 does not say a word on the subject, except a few observa- 

 tions in his preface tendinj^ to show the difiicultiesof it, and 

 its unfitness to be presented to a novice in chemistry. In 



Vol. XXVIil. No. 127— Feb. 18U. G .peak- 



