40 REPORT — 1844. 



Mr. Exley showed by reasoning and the aid of diagrams, that there are several 

 distinct collections of fethereal atoms, and one of electric atoms in concentric spheres 

 abont every tenacious atom: these he named and stated as follows: — 1st, the sphere 

 of repulsion of the tenacious atom ; 2nd, the attached atmosphere ; 3rd, the neutral 

 shell ; 4th, the electric surface ; 6th, the electric shell ; 6th, the diametrical shell ; 

 and 7th, the secondary attached atmosphere; and these produce the following alterna- 

 tions of force, viz. — 



1st. The sphere of repulsion of the tenacious atom unaltered. 



2nd. The concave side of the attached atmosphere accelerating the motion of atoms 

 "which have just passed, and thus having the efi'ect of attraction. 



3rd. The convex side of that surface resisting the passage of atoms, and thus having 

 the effect of repulsion. 



4th. The neutral shell. 



5th. The concave side of the electric surface attracting. 



6th. The convex side of the same repelling. 



7th. The electric shell attractive. 



8th. The diametrical shell attractive with increasing force from its concave to its 

 convex side. 



9th. The concave side of the secondary attached atmosphere attracting. 



10th. The convex side of the same repelling. 



It is to be understood that these are distinct from the asthereal matter present in 

 consequence of pressure, which is everywhere uniform. Also there will be a different 

 set of the last three for each sort of sethereal atoms which have a different sphere of 

 repulsion : the others will remain the same. 



These deductions prove, independently of experiment, that many alternations of 

 attraction and repulsion exist as a legitimate inference from the principles above 

 stated, and they correspond with what Newton, Boscovich and others have stated 

 concerning them, which establishes this part of the subject. Hence the new theory 

 possesses all the advantages, both of that of Newton and that of Boscovich, with in- 

 numerable other advantages. 



For explaining chemical affinity the author deduces from his theory the following 

 laws : — 



Law I. Two tenacious atoms unite without the mediation of a third, and the volume 

 is the same as that of the two constituents when the electric fluid collects between 

 them, but the volume is reduced exactly one-half when the electric fluid collects on 

 the outside. 



Law II. Two atoms combine by the mediation of a third, and the volume is the 

 same as that of the two extremes when the electric fluid collects along with the inter- 

 mediate atom between them ; but when it collects on the exterior, the volume is re- 

 duced to exactly one volume, that is, one-half the extremes. 



Law III. In' all cases where chemical union is effected, it is one atom with one, or 

 two with one. 



These laws he illustrated by selected examples. 



In the original paper, the above statements, with other particulars, were illustrated 

 by diagrams^ and the following symbols represent the arrangements of combined 

 atoms. The three dots in the parenthesis are to denote the interposition of electric 

 fluid. 



Law I. — Ttvo volumes. 



Muriatic acid C1(.'.)H 



Carbonic oxide 0(.*.)C 



Nitric oxide 0(.-.)N 



Hydrobromic acid Br(.-.)H. 



&c. 



One volume. 



Cyanogen (CN) 



E. Davy's carburetted hydrogen (CH) 



Chloruret of sulphur (C1,S) 



Chloride of mercury , (Cl,Hg). 



&c. 



