28 14. J Elements of Organic Nature arc coml'med. 325 



compounds of a binary compound, the alkali, with an elementary 

 body, the sulphur, and of course constitute only an apparent 

 exception to the law. 



The two circumstances, that, first, the compounds of the first 

 order are always Unary, and that, secondly, in all these combina- 

 tions at least one of the constituents enters only in the quantity of a 

 single atom or volume, constitute the exclusive characters of inor- 

 ganic nature, and form what I call the principle of inorganic for- 

 mation. 



Let us now see what are the characters of organic substances. 

 All organic bodies contain oxygen united to more than one combus- 

 tible radicle ; and chemical experiments on these substances have 

 shown us that these combinations of oxygen with two or more 

 radicles cannot be considered as composed of two or more binary 

 bodies. Consequently organic compounds of the first order contain 

 more than two elements. According to the number of these 

 elements we may call them ternary, quaternary, quinquarny, &c. 

 , oxides. Thus in inorganic bodies the composition and the law of 

 proportions are in the greatest possible state of simplicity ; but in 

 organic nature they become more and more complex, as the number 

 of elements increases. We may compare this difference between 

 the two kingdoms to the difference between common arithmetic and 

 algebra. 



The laws of proportions in organic nature may be comprehended 

 under the two following general rules : — 



1. When three or more elementary bodies, of which oxygen is 

 always one, combine so as to produce a ternary, quaternary, &c. 

 oxide, a certain number of atoms or volumes of one of the elements 

 combines with a certain number of atoms or volumes of each of 

 the others ; hit it is not necessary that any one of these elements 

 should be considered as unity. 



2. When tliese oxides combine with each other or with binary 

 oxides, the oxygen in the one is always a multiple by a whole 

 ■amber of that in the other. 



This last rule is common both to organic and inorganic bodies; 

 but the generalization of this rule as 1 applied it above to inorganic 

 bodies does not apply to organic bodies, as far at least as the electro- 

 tive hotlies common to both constituents are concerned. Thus 

 in the silt tunned by the combination of different vegetable acids 

 with ammonia, we very seldom find the hydrogen in the acid a 

 multiple or submultiple by a whole number of that in the ammonia 

 or the water. This circumstance deserves attention. 



Th( ive characters, then, of organic bodies arc, that those 



uj the first order tontain inure, than two elements, none of which 

 cessity be considered as unity. This is what I mean by 

 principle of organic formation. 



The lii-' of these rules would seem at first sight to indicate that 

 determinate proportions do not exist in organic combinations} for 

 that rule admits of combinations in all proportions ; but this by nw 



