76 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FUSING POINTS OF THE SAME 
BODIES WHEN CRYSTALLIZED AND WHEN AMORPHOUS. 
M. Wohler having observed that lithofellic acid possessed different 
fusing-points when amorphous and when crystallized, extended his 
observations to other substances, and he has arrived at the conclu- 
sion that all dimorphous bodies have two different fusing-points. In 
passing from the crystallized to the amorphous state, bodies change 
all their physical properties, as colour, density, refractive power, spe- 
cific gravity and solubility, but without any sensible alteration in the 
chemical properties. ‘The following are the different temperatures 
at which the under-mentioned bodies fuse in their different states :— 
Crystallized. Amorphous. 
Sugar ......... 320° Fahr. 194° to 212° Fahr. 
Amygdalin .... 392... 257... 266 
SSUYIG ACI aise arn | ass 194 .. 230 
Lithofellic acid.. 401 ... 221 .. 230 
M. Wohler observes that it is extremely difficult to determine with 
exactitude the fusing point of amorphous bodies, because the liquid 
state is always preceded by softening. It is probable that common 
glass and crystallized glass (Reaumur’s porcelain) possess two dif- 
ferent fusing-points.—Ann. de Chim. et de Phys., Juin 1842. 
EQUIVALENTS OF CERTAIN ELEMENTARY BODIES. BY 
M. DUMAS. 
“« Composition of Water.—Water is continually forming and de- 
composing by animals and plants; in order to appreciate what re- 
sults, let us first examine what its composition is. Very delicate 
and difficult experiments, founded on the direct combustion of hy- 
drogen, and in which I produced more than two pounds of water, 
the errors of which are unimportant under present circumstances, 
render it very probable that water is composed of 
1 part of hydrogen, and 
8 parts of oxygen, 
and that these whole and simple numbers express the true propor- 
tions in which these two elements combine to form water. 
«« As bodies always present themselves to the eye of the chemist as 
molecules, and since he always endeavours to fix in his thoughts 
the weight of the molecules of each substance, the simplicity of these 
relations is not unimportant. In fact, each molecule of water being 
found to consist of a molecule of hydrogen and a molecule of oxy- 
gen, these simple numbers are learnt and are never forgotten. 
«A molecule of hydrogen weighs 1, a molecule of oxygen weighs 
8, and a molecule of water weighs 9. 
“* Composition of Carbonic Acid.—Carbonic acid is incessantly pro- 
duced in animals, and incessantly decomposed by plants; its com- 
position therefore merits in its turn special attention. 
«Experiments founded on the direct combustion of the diamond, 
and its conversion into carbonic acid, have proved to me that this 
acid is formed of 6 parts by weight of carbon and 16 parts by weight 
of oxygen. 
