344 M. Dumas on the Chemical Statics of Organized Beings. 



mond, and on its conversion into carbonic acid, have proved 

 to me that this acid is formed of the combination of 6 parts 

 by weight of carbon and 16 parts by weight of oxygen. 



We are therefore led to represent carbonic acid as being 

 formed of one molecule of carbon weighing 6, and two mole- 

 cules of oxygen weighing 16, which constitute one molecule 

 of carbonic acid weighing 22. 



Composition of Ammonia. — Lastly, ammonia, in its turn, 

 seems formed in whole numbers of 3 parts of hydrogen and 14 

 of azote, which may be represented by 3 molecules of hydro- 

 gen weighing 3, and by 1 molecule of azote weighing 14. 



Thus, as if the better to show all her power, nature ope- 

 rates, in the business of organization, upon a very small num- 

 ber only of elements, combined in the most simple propor- 

 tions. 



The atomic system of the physiologist revolves on these 

 four numbers: 1, 6, 7, 8. 



1, is the molecule of hydrogen; 



6, that of carbon ; 



7, or twice 7, i. e. 14, that of azote; 



8, that of oxygen. 



These numbers should always be associated with these 

 names, because for the chemist there can exist no abstract 

 hydrogen, nor carbon, nor azote, nor oxygen. They are 

 beings in their reality which he has always in view; it is of 

 their molecules that he always speaks; and to him the word 

 hydrogen depicts a molecule which weighs 1 ; the word car- 

 bon, a molecule which weighs 6 ; and the word oxygen, a 

 molecule which weighs 8. 



Composition of the Air. — Does atmospheric air, which pei- 

 forms so great a part in organic nature, also possess as simple 

 a composition as water, carbonic acid and ammfilnia ? This 

 is the question which M. Boussingault and I have recently 

 been studying. Now, we have found that, as the greater num- 

 ber of chemists have thought, and contrary to the opinion of 

 Dr. Prout, to whom chemistry owes so many ingenious views, 

 air is a mixture, — a true mixture. 



In weight, air contains 2,300 of oxygen for 7,700 of azote; 

 in volume, 208 of the first for 792 of the second. 



The air, besides, contains from 4 to 6-10,000ths of carbonic 

 acid in volume, whether it be taken at Paris or in the country. 

 Ordinarily, it contains 4-10,000ths. 



Moreover, it contains a nearly equal quantity of the carbu- 

 retted hydrogen gas which is called marsh gas, and which 

 stagnant waters disengage perpetually. 



We do not speak of aqueous vapour, which is so variable; 



