304 Notices respecting New Books. 



unites chemically in the smallest quantity being expressed 

 by unity, all the other elements may be represented by the 

 relations ot their quantities to unity. 



'^ Hydrogen gas, or inflammable air, is the substance of 

 which the smallest weights seem to enter into combination ; 

 and it appears to exist in no definite compound in less propor- 

 tion than water. The specific gravity of hydrogen is to that 

 of oxvgen as 15 to I ; and as 2 volumes of hydroaen to 1 of 

 oxygen enter into the composition of wafer, the ratio of the 

 hydrogen in water will be to the oxvgen as 2 to 15 ; and it 

 may be rep;arded as composed of two proportions of hydro- 

 gen and one of oxygen : and the number representmg hy- 

 drogen will be 1, and that representing oxygen !5. 



" The weights of equal volumes of azote and oxygen are 

 to each other nearly as 13 to 15 : therefore, supposing the 

 number representing the proportion, in which azote com- 

 bines, gained from the composition of nitrous oxide, which 

 contains two volumes of azote to one of oxvgen, it will be 

 represented by 26; and nitrous oxide will consist of two 

 proportions of azote equal to 26, and one proportion of 

 oxygen equal to 15. Nitrous gas will consist of 1 of azote 

 and 2 of oxygen, 26 and 30. Nitrous acid gas of 1 of azote 

 and 4 of oxygen, 26 and 60. 



*' Ammonia, which is decomposed by electricity into 3 

 volumes of hydrogen and 1 volume of azote, will consist of 

 6 proportions of hydrogen and 1 proportion of azote, or 6 

 and 26. 



'^ The weight of chlorine oroxvmuriatic gas, is to that of 

 hydrogen nearly as 33"5 to 1 ; and muriatic acid gas con- 

 sists of equal volumes of these gases, and therefore is com- 

 posed of 33*5 of chlorine, and 1 of hvdrogeo ; — but 2 of 

 chlorine may be made to combine with one of oxvgen in 

 volume; and double proportions of this gas combine to 

 form compounds, which, when decomposed by "vater, 

 afi'ord compounds containing single proportions of oxygen ; 

 so that the ratio of chlorine to oxvgen is that of 67 to i5, 

 and the number representing chlorine is correctly stated 67. 



*' In like manner it is easy to deduce the nurnber repre- 

 senting the other undecompounded bodies; and they will be 

 found to correspond as nearly as can be expected, in what- 

 ever way thev are obtained. Thus, whether the number 

 representing the proportion in which potassium, the basis 

 of potash, combines, be gained from its combination with 

 oxygen or with chlorine, the result will scarcely differ; for 

 8 grains of potassium, converted into the compound of 

 chlorine and potassium. I have found gain about 7'1 grains, 



and 



