THE 
PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 
AND JOURNAL. | 
STS ee EY 4896, 
XLIX. On Mr. Datron’s Speculations respecting the Miz- 
ture of Gases, the Constitution of the Atmosphere, &c. - By 
Tuomas TrepcGotp, Esg.* 
T appears that Mr. Dalton’s speculations respecting the 
mixture of gases and vapours, and the nature of the atmo- 
sphere, have been very generally received as true explanations 
* of the phenomena of the one and of the nature of the other; 
and by those who are considered of high authority in science. 
Under these circumstances, it becomes the duty of those who 
reject these speculations as erroneous, to exhibit the grounds 
on which they do object to them, in the hope that the true 
explanation of these important points of physical science may 
be established. 
We owe much to Mr. Dalton, even in cases where he has 
not been successful, and his name will always be respected by 
those who feel any interest in the progress of knowledge; and 
I am sorry that I have to oppose as inaccurate one of those 
bold speculations on which much of his fame has been raised. 
If his had been merely speculations, and without influence 
on the progress of other branches of physical inquiry, they 
might have remained unopposed; but when formule for the 
reduction of chemical experiments to a common standard are 
founded on them, and they are made the basis of other theories, 
and are used in the correction of barometrical measurements, 
and in various meteorological inquiries, it becomes a work of 
necessity to examine how far these doctrines are founded in 
truth. 
When Mr. Dalton’s opinions first appeared, they were op- 
posed by Mr. Gough, and with sufficient force to have called 
for more accurate investigation before they were acceded to. 
Mr. Gough’s paper was however not satisfactory to me; and 
as far as | can recollect, it was very diffuse. 
The whole of Mr. Dalton’s theory rests upon a very im- 
* Communicated by the Author. 
Vol. 67. No. 337. May 1826. 28 portant 
