Dr. Kane's Notice on the Theory of the JEtheis. 163 



13. Realgar. 18. Sulphuretof tin. 



14. Orpiment. 19. bismuth. 



15. Dense native cinnabar. 20. antimony. 



16. Sulphuret of silver. 21. Protosul. iron crystallized. 

 17. copper. 22. anhydrous. 



The carbon was the dense hard kind obtained from gas 

 retorts; the substances 3. 4. 5. 6. 9. 10. 11. and some of the 

 sulphurets had been first fused and solidified ; and all the 

 bodies were taken in the most solid and dense state which 

 they could acquire. 



It is perhaps superfluous to add, except in reference to ef- 

 fects which have been supposed by some to occur in northern 

 latitudes, that the iron and nickel did not appear to suffer 

 any abatement of their peculiar power when cooled to the very 

 lowest degree. 



Royal Institution, Feb. 7> 1839. 



XXVIII. Notice on the Theory of the JEthers. By Robert 

 Kane, M.D., Professor qf Chemistry in Dublin.* 



¥N discussing the claims advanced by Robiquet and Bou- 

 tron, to the discovery of the important relations of amyg- 

 daline and oil of bitter almonds. Professor Liebig has intro- 

 duced my name in such a manner as to render a notice of it 

 upon my part unavoidable. Robiquet's memoir and Liebig's 

 criticism on it are in the Annalen der Pharmacie for February 

 1838, which, however, did not reach Dublin until October, 

 and the passage in question (page 195) is as follows: 



" Es kommt mir gerade so vor, als wenn Hr. Kane, Ber- 

 zelius gegeniiber, behaupten wollte, er sey der Entdecker 

 der Aethyl-theorie, die ihm abgeschmackter-weise von einigen 

 seiner Landsleute zugeschrieben wird, weil er einmal die Idee 

 hatte, dass man den Aether auch wohl als ein Oxyd betrachten 

 kiinne, eine Idee, die mit eben so viel Recht von Hrn. Dumas 

 und Boullay in Anspruch genommen wird. Ich wiindere 

 mich nur dariiber, dass er seine Anspriiche nichtganz ehrlich 

 desavouirt ; denn wahrend des Kampfes bat er sich in den 

 hintersten Reihen gehalten, ja er ist so gar von der einen 

 Seite zur andern iibergegangen, und sicher deiikt er nicht 

 daran, jetzt, wo der Sieg entschieden ist, sich die Lorbeeren 

 anzueignen." 



In order that the nature of the matter under consideration 

 may be intelligible to every person, I will attach a transla- 

 tion of the passaige. 



* Coininunicated by the Author. 

 M2 



