44 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



to every one. Various organic bodies are found to polymerize when 

 their molecular weights are determined by the freezing point method; 

 while measured by the boiling point method they have normal mole- 

 cular weights. In the case of alcohol and acetic acid this polymeriza- 

 tion can be easily explained by assuming 'oxygen a tetrad — an explana- 

 tion advanced by Eamsay. Indeed, Eamsay has shown from his surface- 

 tension measurements that such an assumption is necessary, since water, 

 alcohol, and various other bodies undoubtedly form complex molecules 

 at low temperatures. 



The effect of temperature on valency was first emphasized by 

 Friedel ^ from his studies on the union of hydrochloric acid and ether. 

 To explain the formation of this body he assumed tetravalent ^ oxygen ; 

 and although the constitution which he gave to his compound is if\- 

 coTxect and the oxygen has ptrabably a valency much higher than he 

 supposed, the importance of his conclusions cannot be over-estimated. 



During the past winter we have made a study of the conductivities * 

 of various organic bodies dissolved in the liquefied halogen halides. 

 These measurements were made at temperatures between — 50° 'and 

 — 150° C, and gave, in siome cases, very unexpected results. 



Our experiments showed that substances such as the alcolioh, 

 ethers, ketones, etc., and- some nitrogen compounds, i.e., substances con- 

 taining an atom to which changing valency might be ascriiied — dis- 

 solved in the liquefied gases with a great evolution of heat to form 

 conducting solutions, and that the molecular conductivity dccrcafcd 

 enormously with dilution — a 'result which, taken into consideration 

 with the heat evolution, could only mean the formation of chemical 

 compounds. We give here a series of conductivity measurements. The 

 method of experiment we shall discuss in another place. 



Triethyl Ammonium Chloride in Hydrogen Iodide. 



lo-fi 



» Friedel. BuH. See. Chim. (2) 24, 166. 241 (1875). 



* J. C. S. 75. 710 (1899) ; Ber. 34. 2679, 3612 (1901) ; 35, 120* (1902). 



• Begun by Dr. Steele and one of us. 



