216 Vindication of Dalion’s Theory of | Marcu, 
any one chuses to make them. No doubt an expert analyst might 
upon my principles find formulas for the residuary gases, by having 
given the total volume of each individual gas in any mixture, and 
the rates of their separate absorptions by water; but I can assure 
M. Saussure, as well as yourself, that it is to me no very easy 
task; I shall be thankful to receive them from either of your 
hands; whereas the other problem, to find formule for the total 
volumes of the gases, from the residuary gases and the rates of 
absorption being given, is very easy; they are as under :— 
Let a, 1, c, &e. be the residuary volumes of the different gases 
A, B, C, &c. after the absorption; w, the volume of water; 
=, =, - &c. the rates or portions of the gases A, B, C, &c. in an 
unmixed state respectively absorbed by water, ascertained by pre- 
vious experiments. ‘Then the formule representing the total quan- 
tities of the respective gases in and out of the water together will 
be, according to the principles which I maintain, as follows :— 
Original volume of A = a + ES = 
m°a+b +c, &. 
5 w b 
. w c 
Ditto, Cs iG hiag’ sana a aioe 
and the total volume of all the gases in and out willbea+b +6 
&c. + = cpr wiecatg phrase 8 
np 
a +6 +c, &c.' m 
These formule comprise the essentials of the theory as first an- 
nounced by Dr. Henry (see Nich. Jour. v. 240, 1803), andI will 
undertake to prove in what follows that Saussurein all his numerous 
experiments has not given one result that militates against it. It is 
true I have further maintained that the formule may be restricted 
alittle; that is, that the values of m, n, p, &c. are limited to the: 
cubes of the natural series 1, 2, 3, 4, &c.; and in conformity with 
this limitation have suggested a principle of equilibrium which 
pretty obviously arises out of it; but if the values of m, m, p, &c.- 
in certain cases are not those I have stated, then it follows that in 
such cases the equilibrium can be adjusted without any especial 
regard being had to the distances of the particles of air within the 
liquid being multiples of those without. 
Let us now compare the results of the above formule with all 
those of Saussure ascertained by experiment, and of which he 
asserts that “ none of them correspond with Dalton’s theory. 
1. Mixture of Carbonic Acid and Hydrogen.— According to 
Saussure, water takes 1°06 times its volume of carbonic acid, and 
#8; = ~j, of its volume of hydrogen. By experiment, he ascer- 
tained that in a certain instance 100 measures of water being im- 
pregnated with a mixture of these gases, the residues were—Car- 
bonic acid, 173; hydrogen, 213°5; query the total volume of the 
