30 JOURNAL OF THE 
less, perhaps right closely, resembles in its form a regular 
tetrahedron; and further that the cause of those influences 
which reveal'themselves as units of affinity concentrate them- 
selves in the corners of this tetrahedron herhaps, and from 
analogous grounds, just as the electric influences would do 
from an electrically charged metallic tetrahedron. The real 
carriers of this energy would be the primitive atoms as the 
chemical energy of a compound radical is undoubtedly the re- 
sultant inherent energy of the elementary atoms. 
Victor Meyer and Riecke' advanced the hypothesis that the 
atom is surrounded with a spherical shell of ether: the atom 
is the seat of chemical affinity, the surface of the ether shell 
that of valence. Hach valence is determined by the presence 
of two oppositely electrified poles which form the ends of a 
line short in comparison with the thickness of the shell. 
The hypothesis of Knorr’ may also be given in brief. He 
assumes in each atom the presence of Valenzk6rper which 
have the power of attracting other Valenzkérper. The 
quantivalence of any atom is determined by the number of 
these present. | 
Flawitzky’ takes as a basis tor his hypothesis the sugges- 
tion of N. Beketoff that the cause of the chemical interaction 
of the elements lay in the interference or coincidence of the 
motions of the atoms. The chief assumption is that the 
atoms of each element described closed curves which lie in 
planes, which are parallel to one another and have a con- 
stant absolute position in space. The atoms of different ele- 
ments move in planes which made definite constant angles 
with one another. According to Flawitzky, thus, ‘‘the val- 
ences of the elements can be refered to the differences in the 
angles between the planes of the paths of the different 
, atoms.” 
It is quite possible that other hypotheses as to valence 
have been formulated but have escaped my notice. These 
1 Ber. d. Chem, Ges. 21, 951. 
Ann. Chem. (Liegbig) 279, 202. 
3Ztchr. Amorg. Chem. 12, 182. 
