670 BERZELIUS ON THE COMPOSITION OF 
must be understood to possess the same fundamental properties 
when they afforded the same products of decomposition, on ex- 
posure to the same decomposing agents, and that this was the 
case with bodies belonging to the same chemical type. 
This he illustrated by the following example. If acetate of 
potash be mixed with hydrate of potash and subjected to dry 
distillation, carburetted hydrogen in minimo CH? is generated ; 
and when chloroxalate of potash is boiled with a strong solution 
of caustic potash, perchloride of formyle is formed C? H Cl’. The 
mode of decomposition is however here quite different, for chlor- 
oxalate of potash distilled with hydrate of potash gives chloride 
of potassium, carbon, carbonate of potash and carburetted hy- 
drogen, whilst acetate is decomposed into carbonic acid and car- 
buretted hydrogen, and is not acted upon at all when boiled 
with caustic potash. Such however was the illustration given 
by Dumas of his view of fundamental properties. In order now 
to make carburetted hydrogen in minimo belong to the same 
chemical type as the perchloride of formyle, he assumed that 
the atom of the former consisted of C? H*, and that in the 
latter, C* H Cl3, the chlorine played the part of hydrogen; or 
that in the former the 3 atoms of hydrogen occupied a similar 
position to the 3 atoms of chlorine in the latter. It is hardly 
necessary to add that this view is entirely fanciful. 
To give an idea of the views of atomic composition which 
arise from this theory, I will quote an example given by Dumas 
of the chemical type to which the oil of bitter almonds belongs, 
represented by the chemical formule required by this theory, in 
which the elements that play the same part are placed vertically _ 
the one above the other. ; 
Oil of bitter almonds, ..!)..... 5) «+ C4 Hea 
Binacichloride (chloride) of benzoyle cud at O? 
i ho 
Binacisulphuret (sulphuret) of benzoyle cut g bO? 
Beiizpie acids aoa oc! oF Srigvors’ Fas 
: 5 Hé 
(Benzoate of amidogen) benzamide . cu{ $0. 
Amongst these very different compounds, the rational com- — 
position of which is expressed by the names here employed, it — 
is not only presumed that chlorine, sulphur and oxygen play 
the same part, but that this is likewise the case with hydrogen ; 
