Royal Society. 307 



safety-lamp. Determination of the quantity of heat evolved in perfect 

 combustion. Experiments of Despretz and Hess, Theories of combustion 

 proposed by Lavoisier and others. Heat of combination derived from the 

 change of specific heat in combustion. 



Chapter VIH. — Of the Influence of ELEcxnicixY on Chemical 

 Affinity. — Electro-chemical decomposition. Chemical affinity is elec- 

 trical attraction. Electro-chemical classification. Electro-chemical theories 

 proposed by Davy, Ani|)^re, and Berzelius. Elements evolved not on 

 attracting poles, but on the limiting surfaces of the liquid. Internal mo- 

 lecular mechanism of electro-chemical decomposition. Phaenomena of 

 transfer described. Of electrolysis and electrolytes. Electro-chemical 

 equivalents. The chemical voltameter. Molecular arrangement of the 

 elements of the generating cell. Theory of galvanism. Origin of the gal- 

 vanic current. Compound bodies formed by the current. Agency of weak 

 currents in the production of compound bodies. Synthetic action of 

 electricity. An electro-chemical theory proposed by the author. Theory 

 of the relations of electricity and affinity. Electro-chemical theory pro- 

 posed by Becquerel. Of the measure of affinity. 



Chapter IX. — On the Laws of Combination. — Numerical determi- 

 nation of chemical equivalents. Scales of chemical equivalents. Table of 

 the equivalents of simple bodies. Double decomposition occurs in equiva- 

 lent proportions. Equivalents of compound bodies. Law of multiple 

 proportions. Researches ofPronot on the definiteness of composition. 

 Methods of determining the equivalent constitution of bodies. Law of 

 multiple proportions. Theory of volumes. Equivalent volumes of simple 

 and of compound bodies. Calculations of the theoretical specific gravities 

 of compound vapours. 



Chapter X. — Or the Relations of Chemical Constitution to the 

 MoLEcuLAE Structure of Bodies. 



Sect. I. Of the Atoviic Theory. — Dalton's theory of combination. Phy- 

 sical and chemical atoms. 



LI 1 1. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from p. 141.] 



Dec. 10, A MEMORANDUM, addressed to the Royal Society, 

 1840. -tX. November 28th, 1840, by Martin Barry, M.D.,F.R.S., 

 L. & Ed., was read. 



Dr. Barry, in reference to the memorandum of Mr. Wharton Jones, 

 claiming for himself the contemporaneous discovery of the germinal 

 spot in the mammiferous ovum, states that, after having bestowed 

 considerable pains to ascertain who was the original observer of a 

 structure which has proved to be of great importance, he had men- 

 tioned incidentally in his paper the result of his inquiry, namely, that 

 the merit of the discovery was due to Professor RudolphWagner ; but 

 observes that the inquiry may be resumed by all who will take the 

 trouble to examine the works, both in German and English, on this 

 subject ; and that he will ever be open to conviction, and ready to de- 

 clare his change of opinion, on the production of sufficient evidence. 

 A communication was also read, entitled " Supplementary Note 

 to a Paper, entitled ' Researches in Embryology. Third Series ; 



X 2 



