Prof. Apjohn on the Specific Heats of the Gases. 261 



that amongst such a series of isomeric bodies, there is one 

 in wliich the chemical equihbrium is stable, that is to say, the 

 relative position of the chemical poles of the heterogeneous 

 atoms such as to allow the greatest attraction between the 

 component parts. 



In closing this paper I cannot but repeat what I said at the 

 beginning of it, namely, that I do not attach much import- 

 ance to the views just now developed, they being entirely hy- 

 pothetical; nevertheless I think them not altogether unworthy 

 of being taken into consideration. If they should happen to 

 excite happier ideas upon the subject treated of in my paper, 

 they will not have been quite useless. 

 Bale, May 24, 1838. 



XXXVI. The Specific Heats of the Gases as deduced hy Dr. 

 Apjohn, compared isoith the more recent Jlesidts o/' Dr. 

 Suerman. By James Apjohn, M.D., M.R.I.A., Professor 

 of Chemistry in the JRoyal College ofSurgeons, Ireland. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal, 

 Gentlemen, 



T is known to some of my scientific friends that I have 

 been for a considerable time engaged in experiments for 

 determining the specific heats of the more remarkable gaseous 

 bodies ; and indeed several of the results at which I have ar- 

 rived have been communicated to the public through the re- 

 ports of the British Association and the pages of the Philo- 

 sophical Magazine.* The entire of my researches on this sub- 

 ject have some time since been laid before the Royal Irish 

 Academ}', and have appeared in a connected form in the vo- 

 lume of its Transactions which has just issued from the press. 

 As, however, the circulation of the Transactions is necessarily 

 limited, and, also, in order that I may set myself right with the 

 public upon some points in reference to which I have been 

 misapprehended, I am anxious to avail myself of the pages of 

 your Journal, to draw attention to the efforts which I have 

 made towards the solution of a problem of acknowledged diffi- 

 culty and great importance. I have also another object in ma- 

 king this hasty communication, viz. to bring under the notice 

 of British philosophers the recent very able and valuable in- 

 vestigations of Suerman, a copy of whose memoir on the spe- 

 cific heats of gases has recently come into my possession. 



Dr. Suerman has, as will be seen, adopted my method, and, 

 by means of a very elaborate apparatus, has arrived at con- 

 clusions which, as I shall show, correspond very closely with 



[* See L. and E. Phil. Mag., vol. vii. p. 385.] 



I 



