ORGANIC SUBSTANCES. 677 
by chlorine or bromine, and an exchange takes place, this is 
not effected simultaneously in the conjunct and in the chemi- 
cally active oxide. But in this manner quite a different view of 
the subject is obtained than that arising from the metaleptic 
theory. It cannot be considered merely as a supposition, when 
we assume that the conjunct is the first to be changed by the 
action of the salt radical, for I shall prove by striking examples 
that a conjunct can be thus changed by a salt radical without 
ceasing on that account to be still a conjunct to the chemically 
active oxide, which, if it happen to be an acid, retains its acid 
properties and forms salts, the characters of which are more or 
less changed, according to the changed constitution of the con- 
junct. This it was that gave rise to the fiction of chemical types. 
It however does not prevent the chemically active oxide from 
being eventually changed by the action of chlorine; but then 
quite another kind of compound is produced, in which the pro- 
perties of the chemically active oxide are no longer to be found. 
These substitutions have never been theoretically handled but 
by supporters of the metaleptic theory, and it must be admitted 
that almost every one who has made an attempt to investigate 
the subject has soon become a proselyte to that theoretical view. 
It will not be out of place here to examine these phenomena 
from another point of view, and with this motive I shall bring 
forward a few examples. 
1. When oil of bitter almonds, or binoxide of picramyle, 
C™“ Hé + O%, is treated with chlorine, an equivalent of hydrogen 
is exchanged for an equivalent of chlorine. By this process a 
body is produced which on its first discovery received the name 
of chlorbenzoyle. According to the metaleptic theory, from what 
has been already stated, it would be considered as an unaltered 
type = ote to and the chlorine would play the same part 
and take the same position in it as the equivalent of hydrogen 
which has been eliminated. But when the body is now treated 
in alcohol with hydrate of potash, chloride of potassium and 
benzoate of potash are produced. This indicates quite another 
mode of combination: it contains, namely, the same compound 
of carbon and hydrogen, which is present in benzoic acid, united 
with 2 atoms of oxygen and 1 equivalent of chlorine. The 
counterpart to this may be observed in numerous cases with 
inorganic radicals, for instance, with sulphur, chromium, tung- 
3 B2 
