560 



Professor Svante Arrhenius 



[June 3, 



the positive ion, we may calculate the properties of any electrolyte 

 composed of the tabulated ions. In this way we may treat the 

 specific weight (Yalson), the molecular conductivity (law of Kohl- 

 rausch), the internal friction (Arrhenius), the capillarity (Valson), 

 the compressibility (Rontgen and Schneider), the refractive index 

 (Gladstone), the natural rotation of polarisation (law of Oudemans), 

 the magnetic rotation of polarisation (Perkin and Jahn), the magneti- 

 sation (Wiedemann), and all other properties of the electrolytes 

 hitherto sufficiently studied. 



The most imj^ortant of these additive properties are those of which 

 we make use in chemical analysis. As is well known it is generally 

 true that chlorides give a white precipitate with silver salts. It was 

 said formerly that silver salts are reagents for chlorine. Xow 



Fig. 6. 



we say that silver ions are reagents for chlorine ions. This 

 expression is better than the old one, for neither all silver salts 

 e.g. potassium silver cyanide and many other comj^ounds of silver 

 nor all chlorine compounds, e.g. j)otassium chlorate and many 

 organic chlorides, give this characteristic reaction. The experiment 

 succeeds only with such silver and chlorine compounds as are in 

 a measurable degree decomposed into silver and chlorine ions. 

 Ostwald has treated this question comprehensively, and in this way he 

 has given a rational exposition of the general phenomena of analytical 

 chemistry. To this fact belongs, also, the poisonous eftect of some 

 salts ; this effect may be considered as a special physiologically 

 chemical reaction of the chemical compounds. On this point there 

 are many valuable researches by Kriinig and Paul, Clarke and others. 



