Newton, Leibnitz, and Boseovich to the Atomic Theory. 73 



water. Again, it might be shown that it is at a certain tempera- 

 ture only that this molecule will be spherical. On one side of 

 that temperature it must be prolate, while on the other it will 

 be oblate. Now, a given number of spherical molecules, under 

 similar conditions of existence, must occupy less space than the same 

 number of equivalent spheroids, whether prolate or oblate. A volume 

 composed of such molecules, therefore, will at a certain temperature 

 manifest a minimum or a maximum density, both below and above 

 which it will expand. And thus, supposing oiu" molecule to represent 

 a particle of water, it explains what has hitherto been regarded as an 

 anomaly in that hquid. 



It further appears that when such a molecule is heated, so as to 

 vaporize, or explode into vapour, a great quantity of heat must be 

 engaged ; for aeriform atmospheres are wanted for no fewer than thirty-six 

 particles of vapour. But to balance this, the volume of vapour result- 

 ing must be very great. In these respects, also, our molecule represents 

 water. Moreover, it is obvious that when a group or mass of such 

 molecules become solid, whether by themselves, as in ice, or in the tissue 

 of plants abounding in water, the elements of the rhombohedral or hexa- 

 gonal system of symmetry must manifest themselves. And this, too, 

 has been remarked of ice, and of aqueous or monocotyledonous plants. 

 By thus viewing water as vapour in a molecular state, each molecule 

 composed as stated above, we also obtain the reason of the uniform great 

 per centages of water in the great products of nature, which seem other- 

 wise altogether arbitrary and accountable. Thus the form of the aque- 

 ous particle is such, that to constitute a complete symmetrical shell of 

 water for a single atom of another kind, such as an atom of sea salt 

 or of urea, one of water will be required for each pole of that atom, and 

 twelve to invest its body, and to unite into a shell along with these 

 polar particles of water. Now, this gives (as any one may find who 

 makes the calculation) 2'56 per cent, of salt for the sea, and TS of urea 

 for urine. And these may truly be regarded as the noi-mal quantities, 

 as a reference to nature will show. And this also leads us to regard 

 the liquids holding these salts in solution, not as merely mechanical 

 or accidental, but as of a symmetrical, or chemical natui-e. And so of 

 organized fluids and tissues generally. Allowing a particle of water to 

 each element that goes to constitute the peptonic or proteine molecule 

 (the number of which elements wo may estimate by the number of 

 atoms of nitrogen in the formula), or reducing them all to their simplest 

 terms, as has been done by C. Schmidt, in his formula for the muscles 

 of insects (viz., C^ H* NO^), we obtain about 80 per cent, of water. 



Vol. IV.— No. 1. , 



