OF BODIES DESTITUTE OF NITROGEN. 239 



composed is shared between the oxygen and hydro- 

 gen ; part of it unites with the oxygen and forms 

 carbonic acid, whilst the other portion enters into 

 combination with the hydrogen, and an oxide of a 

 carbohydrogen is formed,, in which all the hydrogen 

 is contained. 



In a similar manner, when alcohol is exposed to 

 a gentle red heat, its carbon is shared between 

 the elements of the water an oxide of a carbo- 

 hydrogen which contains all the oxygen, and some 

 gaseous compounds of carbon and hydrogen being 

 produced. 



It is evident that during transformations caused 

 by heat, no foreign affinities can be in play, so that 

 the new compounds must result merely from the 

 elements arranging themselves, according to the 

 degree of their mutual affinities, into new combina- 

 tions which are constant and unchangeable in the 

 conditions under which they were originally formed, 

 but undergo changes when these conditions become 

 different. If we compare the products of two 

 bodies, similar in composition but different in pro- 

 perties, which are subjected to transformations by 

 two different causes, we find that the manner in 

 which the atoms are transposed, is absolutely the 

 same in both. 



In the transformation of wood in marshy soils, 

 by what we call putrefaction, its carbon is shared 

 between the oxygen and hydrogen of its own 

 substance, and of the water carburetted hydro- 



