Dr Muncke's Remarks on cut Account, dfc. 271 



we have stepped aside so long. We have been obliged to reject 

 from column fifth the numbers opposite to silver, gold, and bis- 

 muth ; the presumption, therefore, is, that the Specific heats as- 

 signed to these metals by Mr Potter are too great. But it has al- 

 ready been shown for other reasons, that those given for gold and 

 silver are not at all to be depended upon. We are justified in con- 

 cluding, therefore, that his result for bismuth is also to be rejected. 



Opposite to bismuth, in column third, I have inserted two 

 atomic weights, that of Dr Thomson 72, and that adopted by 

 MM. Dulong and Petit, which is one-half more, 108; and 

 while I have multiplied the specific heat of these latter gentle- 

 men, as they did, by 108, I have given Mr Potter the benefit 

 of the former number 72, as affording a value of C somewhat 

 nearer the mean than the other number does. The atom of 

 silver I have also set down at 55, as this halving of Thomson's 

 number was necessary for both determinations. 



Whether we adopt the one or the other of these numbers is 

 entirely a matter of theory ; combinations may yet be effected, 

 such as to render it convenient to make similar alterations in re- 

 gard to many of the metals. That bismuth may have an atomic 

 weight of \'o.5 or 108, is rendered more probable by some late 

 experiments of Mr Phillips, by which he has made known se- 

 veral new compounds * of that metal, in which the ratio of 1 : 3 

 prevails among the atoms. 



Art. XIV. — A few Remarks on an Account of the " Meeting 

 of the Cultivators of Natural Science and Medicine at 

 Hamburgh in .September 1830, by James l\ \V. Johnston, 

 M. A. iSj-c. dfc. n as Communicated by ttte Author to the Edin- 

 burgh Journal of Science, New Series, No. viii. page LSD. 

 By Dr Munckis, Professor of Natural Philosophy at Heidel- 

 berg. Communicated in English by the Author. 



The account given by Mr .Johnston of the Meeting of the .\u« 



• These are a trinitrate <adn trinutriate. (An. of Phil December 

 isiio.^) Dr Thomson bad previously described and analysed a irucarbowte, 

 [First I'rin. ii. p. 391,) and Berzeliua a tris-sutphittei (Gwclin's lland- 

 buch, i. p. 1009.) All these Baits contain one atom acid i<> three of bue. 

 Were wc lo consider the atom of bismuth i<>s, then these would ill be 

 galled ilisalit. 



NliW sKlilKs, vol,, v. NO. II. OCTOBKB 1881. I 



