136 ABSOLUTE ATOMIC WEIGHT. 



exactly as he did, had used about 240 grains of thallium, he 

 would have obtained our atomic ratio exactly. 



This would have been the point on the ascending curve 

 of his errors if Sir William will for a moment allow us the 

 use of ordinary scientific terms. 



On the descending curve of errors, he would also have 

 been able to obtain an analytical excess of zero, though with 

 much greater difficulty, as the curve of errors (our trajectory) 

 sinks rather abruptly. About 296 grains would have been 

 the most suitable weight to take for repeated trials, to get a 

 mean excess of zero. 



The trajectory of errors drops quite considerably to the 

 last point observed (500 grains) ; but as we have not the 

 data of reduction to vacuum, we cannot tell whether there 

 was any deep pit or sudden very low temperature troubling 

 Mr. Crookes, at London, as they have notoriously troubled 

 his fellow sufferer Stas, at Brussels. Mr. Crookes has not 

 taken us into confidence, so we cannot ascertain for ourselves. 



Now, will the effects of this Morbus Stasii require us to 

 modify our final conclusions? 



We see the total range is 5 in the fifth place, and it is 

 systematic, continuous, in a definite curve or trajectory. 

 (See True Atomic Weights, 1894; pp. 149-151). 



The rise pero.i on N being equivalent to 49 for which 

 we here may take 50 units high in the fifth place, the range 

 5 corresponds to a tenth of o.i, that is to o.oi on Nir: 14. 



The total range or uncertainty due to the Morbus Stasii 

 afflicting Mr. William Crookes in 1873, amounts therefore 

 to o.oi on the atomic weight of nitrogen. 



But this range falls to both sides of the truth, namely, 

 from i high to 4 low; and this latter very great depression 

 was due to the patient having inadvertently taken an 

 excessive dose of thallium. 



We can, therefore, assure Sir William that avoiding 

 such youthful excesses, Mr. William Crookes would have 

 committed no analytical excess greater than i low in the 

 fifth place. 



Accordingly, kindly excusing these thallic excesses of the 

 youthful spiritualist Crookes, we may say, that the normal 



