IN STUDYING QUESTIONS OF CHEMICAL MECHANICS. 327 
abscissa. The inclination of this right line on the axis of = 
ought generally to be different, when the nature of the inactive 
liquid changes, or at least it will only be constant by exception. 
But the value of the initial ordinate corresponding to E = 0, 
will be constant in all these right lines, since it ought always to 
reproduce the proper power [a] of the active substance con- 
sidered isolated. These rectilinear forms will likewise apply 
when the weight E of the inactive liquid shail be just sufficient 
to saturate P totally, and this will be the limit of their applica- 
tion. The value which the ordinate of the right lines will then 
take will coincide with the constant value which the character- 
istic function acquires for the same inactive liquid in the first 
phase, in which the weight E. of this liquid attains or exceeds 
the proportion of saturation of P. 
Third Case.—For each value of the relation = relative to a 
same inactive liquid, the weight P of the active substance forms 
one or more fixed combinations, the constitution and number of 
which remain invariable within certain limits of values of this 
relation; after which they change abruptly to form another 
system of analogous combinations, which remain similarly fixed 
within certain limits of > 
Then, in virtue of § 25, the characteristic function 
a(P + EK) 
Pe 
varies by abrupt interruptions, assuming successively various 
values, each of which remains constant within certain limits of 
the relation p> at least this kind of variability should generally 
take place, and the succession of the constant values of the 
characteristic function should likewise be different in general 
when the nature of the inactive liquid changes. In each of 
the magnitudes of a in which it remains constant, the state of 
the system becomes analogous to the second case of the phase 
of supersaturation, which has been discussed in § 21; only it 
varies by interruptions instead of remaining fixed for all the 
ulterior values of the relation es 
