I 



79 



January 5. 183'). 

 Sir T. M. BRISBANE, President, in the Chair. 

 The following Donations were presented : — 



AstronomischeNachrichten, No!<. 265, 266, and 2%1.— From Pro- 

 fessor Schumacher. 



Distances of tho Sun, and the four planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, 

 and Saturn, from the Moon, calculated according to Mr Bessel's 

 method, together with their places for every day in the year 

 1835. Calculated under the direction of H. C. Schumacher, 

 Professor of Astronomy at Copenhagen, &c. — From the Author. 



Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. No. II.— From 

 the Club. 



Kongl. Vetenskaps Academiens Handlingar for Ar 1833. 

 Arsberattelser om Vetenskapernas Framsteg, afgifne af Kongl. Ve- 

 tenskaps-Academiens Embetsman, D. 31 Mars 1833.— From 

 the Academy. 

 Series of Geological Specimens, illustrative of the Greywacke Series 

 of Shropshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wales.— 

 Presented to the Society by 3Ir Murchison. 



The following Communication was read : — 

 On Water as a constituent of Salts. By Tho. Graham, Esq. 



1. In the case of the Sulphates. 



That water may act the part of a base in the constitution of cer- 

 tain hydrates of salts and of acids, had been established by the author 

 in the case of the phosphates. The peculiarity of phosphoric acid 

 is its capacity to unite with water as a base in several proportions, 

 while all other acids combine with water as a base in one proportion 

 only, so far as is yet known. By the author's discoveries in regard 

 to phosphoric acid, the ordinary conceptions entertained of the consti- 

 tution of salts were completely deranged. The salts called biphos- 

 phate of soda, phosphate of soda, and subpho^phate of sod;i, were 

 proved to be all tribasic ^alts. The common idea of a super-salt is 

 inapplicable to any of them. 



In certain salts the author has subsequently found water to exist 

 in a different state, not possessed of a true basic function, being re- 



