424 M. Wohler on a remarkable Meteorite. 



Among the relations which exist among these numbers, the 

 following is remarkable : — 



N 14 P 31 As 75 Sb 122 



Fl 19 CI 35-5 Br 80 I 127. 



It will be observed that the equivalents of nitrogen and anti- 

 mony show the same difference (108) as those of fluorine and 

 iodine : the equivalents of nitrogen and arsenic show the same 

 difference (61) as those of fluorine and bromine. The equivalents 

 of the lower horizontal line are all greater by 5 than those of the 

 upper, with the exception of those of phosphorus and chlorine, 

 where the difference is 4-5. Dumas made many experiments to 

 discover a possible source of error in previous determinations of 

 the equivalent of phosphorus ; but the result was in all cases to 

 confirm the number (31) obtained by Schrotter. 



In a subsequent paper, Dumas* continues his discussion of the 

 relations between the equivalents of certain natural famiHes of 

 the elements, and also points out that the same obtains in the 

 comparison of compound radicals. Thus in the following two 



the common difference is nearly 4. In the two series 



NH4 18 NH^.C^H^ 32 NH3.C4H^46 NH^CTF 60 



C2H3 15 C^H^ 29 Q^W 43 CSRS 57 



the common difference is 3. 



He enters into lengthened considerations as to how far che- 

 mical elements are to be considered as really simple, or merely 

 as being undecomposable, the result of which may be thus stated. 

 The decomposition of substances existing in the three kingdoms 

 of nature leads to the knowledge of certain radicals, which may 

 be arranged in certain natural families. The families, not only 

 of the organic (decomposable), but also of the inorganic (unde- 

 composable) radicals exhibit undeniable analogies. With the 

 means at present at our command, the inorganic radicals cannot 

 further be decomposed, even if they are at all decomposable. 

 But from their analogies with the decomposable radicals, it is 

 still an open question whether they are not also decomposable. 



In an analysis of a meteoric stone which fell at Kaba in Hun- 

 gary, Wohler t made the interesting observation that it contained 



* Compies Rendus, vol. xlvii. p. 102G. Liebig's Annalen, March 185i). 

 t Liebig's Annalen, March 1859. 



