180 Mr. Faraday on new Compounds 



ger exponent) " r a?- v 7nay be any 7iumher rational, irrational, 

 or imaginary," &c. 



That these quotations contain all that Mr. Herapath says 

 of the separate numerical values of r and v, any one may sa- 

 tisfy himself by a reference to the pages in question ; and that 

 they have not the most distant allusion to r and v having at 

 any time integer values, evidently requires not a word to 

 show. Nothing more therefore need be added in answer to 

 Mr. Davies's statements ; — that Mr. Herapath " has deceived 

 himself," — that his " investigation lays it down as an essential 

 datum that r and v shall be integers; and immediately pro- 

 ceeds on the supposition of their being fractions, irrationals, 

 or imaginaries taken at pleasure ! " &c. &c. &c. 



With respect to the accuracy of Mr. Herapath's mathema- 

 tical discoveries and labours in other parts of his writings (most 

 of which it seems Mr. Davies would overwhelm with the ruins 

 of the binomial demonstration), the best proofs are the exam- 

 ples Mr. H. has generally interspersed ; to which I beg, there- 

 fore, to refer your readers. 



I have the honour to be, sir, yours, &c. 



P.Q. 



XXVI. On neio Compounds of Carbon arid Hydrogen, and on 

 certain other Products obtained during the Decomposition of 

 Oil by Heat. By M. Faraday, F.R.S. Cor. Mem. Royal 

 Academy of Sciences of Paris, S)-c.* 



T^HE object of the paper which I have the honour of sub- 

 -^ mitting at this time to the attention of the Royal Society, 

 is to describe particularly two new compounds of carbon and 

 hydrogen, and generally, other products obtained during the 

 decomposition of oil by heat. My attention was first called 

 to the substances formed in oil at moderate and at high tem- 

 peratures, in the year 1820 ; and since then I have endeavoured 

 to lay hold of every opportunity for obtaining information on 

 the subject. A particularly favourable one has been afforded 

 me lately through the kindness of Mr. Gordon, who has fur- 

 nished me with considerable quantities of a fluid obtained du- 

 ring the compression of oil gas, of which I had some years 

 since possessed small portions, sufficient to excite great interest, 

 but not to satisfy it. 



It is now generally known, that in the opei'ations of the 

 Portable Gas Company, when the oil gas used is compressed 

 in the vessels, a fluid is deposited, which may be drawn off* and 



* From the Philosophical Transactions, vol. x. part i. 



preserved 



