168 On the Atomic Tlieory. 



by Mr. Iliggins, who conceived rather than actually observed io 

 occur, certain successive degrees of oxidation of azote, and re- 

 presented the series of its combinations with oxjgea to be azote, 

 one with two of oxygen making nitrous gas." 



He continues to the end of the series of the combinations of 

 those elements to nitric acid which limits their combination, and 

 marks their definite proportions. But what the Doctor means by the 

 expressions ^' concehtd, rather than (utualli/ observed to occur," 

 I do not perfectly understand. It is too ambiguous. If he means 

 that it was not founded on facts, J cannot agree with him ; for I 

 have adduced a great many to confirm my positions, which may 

 be found in different parts of my Comparative View, but parti- 

 cularly under the section Nitrous acid. 



If he means that I accidentally stumbled on the idea, I have had 

 a great many such stumbles thVougliout 280 miles (280 pages), 

 and yet I have not once tumbled. Perhaps he means that I 

 dreamed of the thing ; if so, it must be a very happy and a very 

 long and well-connected kind of a dream, such as seldom occurs. 



'•' But." continues the Doctor, " though Mr.Higgins, in the in- 

 stance of the union of hydrogen and oxygen, anticipated the law 

 of bulks observed by M. Gay-Lussac, with respect to the union 

 of gases, and in his conception of union, by ultimate particles, 

 clearly preceded Mr.Dalton in his atomic views of chemical com- 

 bination, he appears not to have taken much pains to ascertain 

 the actual prevalence of that law of multiple proportions by which 

 the atomic theory is best supported; and it is in factto Mr. 

 Dalton that we are indebted for the first correct observation of 

 such an instance of a simple multiple in the union of nitrous gas 

 with oxygen." 



I have also shown the proportions in which carburetted hy- 

 drogen and oxygen united so as to produce water and carbonic 

 acid gas, and that this gas contained two-thirds of oxygen and 

 one-third charcoal *. In short, I was actpiainted with' the pro- 

 portions in which all the gases united in volumes : — and it evi- 

 dently appears throughor.t most parts of my work, that I have 

 taken great pains to ascertain the actual prevalence of that laio 

 of multiple proportions by utitck the Atomic Theory is best sup- 

 ported; and that it is not in fad to Mr. Dalton that we are in- 

 debted for the first correct observation of such an instance of a 

 simple nmltiple in the union of nitrous gas with oxygen. The 

 Doctor could not bring forward a more unfortunate instance 

 than the latter to support his friend, as I have fully proved upon 

 a former occasion in the number of this Magazine for May last. 

 I will now suffer the Doctor to go on. 



" Chemists in general," says he, " however, appear to have 



• See pages 252 — -53 Comp. View. 



been 



