570 



NA TURE 



[October i-i^y 1S92 



capacity for change in definite proportions, it is probable that 

 the greater number of elements would be formed during or after 

 the transition of the nebular matter from the annular to the 

 spheroidal form. Moreover, as great cosmic transitions are not 

 made/ifr salliim, it might be expected that some modification 

 of the law of nebular condensation into planetary systems, as 

 exhibited in Bode's law, would be found on the further conden- 

 sation of the primitive matter into elementary species. 



There appears to be a flaw in this chain of reasoning 

 which weakens the whole paragraph. It is difficult to 

 see how a law, which the author himself describes as 

 "empirical," can establish a theory on a " firm basis." 

 We admit that an empirical law may be of use — Bode's 

 law is a case in point— but surely it must pass beyond 

 the stage of empiricism before it can establish anything 

 on a firm basis. The astronomical foundation having 

 therefore been shown to be insecure, or, in the opinion of 

 astronomers, even non-existent, it remains next to con- 

 sider the second point, with respect to which we shall let 

 the author speak for himself: — 



One objection raised against the theory which I have pro- 

 pounded on the origin and compound nature of the elements I 

 will remark upon, is an alleged want of causal connection be- 

 tween the series of planetary distances and a series of atomic 

 weights. Now, considering that specific gravities and atomic 

 weights are admittedly correlated properties of the elements, 

 and that specific gravities are fundamentally correlated with the 

 dimensional properties of space, it follows that planetary con- 

 densations within interplanetary space are correlated directly 

 with atomic condensations and atomic weights within that space. 

 Hence the law that every increase of atomic weight, in a well- 

 defined odd or even series of elements, is attended by an increase 

 of specific gravity, is a natural consequence of the theory. 



This is quoted from the preface ; the mechanism of ' 

 the process is described in the paper as follows : — 



In the present hypothesis it is assumed : — (l) That a mass 

 of hydrogen, of a curvilinear form, acquired a motion of rotation 

 about a central point, which caused it to take a spiral or con- 

 volute form. (2) As each successive spiral or convulution was 

 formed, the particles of hydrogen combined with themselves, as 

 far as the septenary combination, to constitute the type of each 

 series of elements — the number of types or series being equal to 

 the number of convolutions of the rotating gas. According to 

 this view, the elementary groups may be represented as forms of 

 Hn, Han, H3n, H4n, H5n, H6n, H7n ; the internal convolu- 

 tions forming the highest type, Hyn, and the outer convolution 

 -the type Hn. (3) That on a further condensation of the ele- 

 mentary matter a transition from the spiral to the annular form 

 occurred, during or after which the series under each type was 

 generated in concentric zones and in the order of their atomic 

 weights, until the highest member of each species was formed. 

 (4) That as the elementary vapours begin to condense, or assume 

 the liquid form, their regular stratification would be disturbed 

 by eruptions of the imprisoned vapours from the interior of the 

 rotating mass. The disturbance would be further augmented by 

 the subsequent combination of the negative with the positive 

 elements, and also by the various solubilities of their newly- 

 formed compounds ; so that the evidence of such stratification of 

 the elementary vapours as I have indicated must necessarily be 

 more fragmentary than that of the geological record. 



In support of this last statement the author mentions 

 the well-known association of allied elements in minerals. 



The idea of an evolution of matter by a process of 

 nebular condensation as above set forth is to be found 

 under various forms in the writings of Herbert Spencer, 

 of Sterry Hunt, Lockyer, and others. Also, it may be 

 remarked in passing, that the hypothesis of stratification 

 in the order of density was applied to the sun by John- 

 stone Stoney about the year 1867. In fact the general 

 notion of elementary evolution is so obvious that it cannot 

 fail to present itself again and again to those who think 

 over such problems as are here dealt with. For the sake 

 of chemical philosophy we only wish that this speculation 

 could be placed on a firmer basis of observation or experi- 

 ment — if for no other reason in order that the minds of 



NO. I I 98, VOL. 46] 



chemists might be cleared of this inorganic Urschleim in 

 which since the time of Prout they have been compelled 

 to wallow. 



Reduced to its ultimate terms it will appear, then, that 

 Mr. Wilde's view is a combination of the nebular with 

 Front's hypothesis, the latter being stated with a precision 

 and boldness which certainly goes beyond any utterance 

 on this subject to be met with in chemical literature since 

 the time of its promulgation. Although the author takes 

 hydrogen as the first stage in his evolutional series he 

 admits, with Prout, that this element "may have been 

 evolved from an ethereal substance of much greater 

 tenuity." Under the seven stages of condensation com- 

 prised from Hn to Hjn. The author arranges all the 

 chemical elements in a tabular form, leaving gaps for un- 

 known elements, and correcting the atomic weights where 

 necessary so as to make them accord with the hypothesis. 

 Some of the results of this treatment have already been 

 alluded to. The way in which Bode's method is applied 

 will be understood by taking one example, viz. the first 

 series, Hn : — 



o 7 = Li = 7 



1 X 23 - o = Na = 23 

 2X23-7 = K ^ 39 



3 X 23 - 7 = Cu = 62 



4 X 23 - 7 = Rb = 85 



5 X 23 - 7 = Ag = 108 



6 X 23 - 7 = Cs = 131 



7 X 23 - 7 = — = 154 



8 X 23 - 7= — = 177 



9 X 23 - 7 = Hg = 200 



The rule of construction is : multiply the atomic weight 

 of the second member (Na = 23 in the above) by the arith- 

 metical series and subtract the atomic weight of the first 

 member (Li = 7 in the above) from the products ; the 

 results are the atomic weights of the elements of the series. 

 This method is applied also to the group H2n with 

 tolerable success, provided the atomic weights are modi- 

 fied to even members and that the atomic weight of 

 beryllium is made 8. Mr. Wilde's second group is given 

 below : — 



Be, 8 ; Mg, 24 ; Ca, 40 ; Zn, 64 ; Sr, 88 ; Cd, 112 ; Ba, 136 ; 

 X, 160 ; X, 184 ; Pb, 208. 



This is presumably one of the new relations between 

 the atomic weights referred to in the title of the paper. 

 In the third group, however (H3n), very considerable 

 modifications of the atomic weights have to be made, as 

 will be seen from the author's results : — 



C, 12 ; Al, 27 ; Sc, 42* ; Ce, 69* ; Ga, 96* ; Y, 123* ; In, 150* ; 

 Er, 177*; Tl, 204 ; Th, 231. 



The six numbers marked with an asterisk stand for 

 44; 92 or 141 ; 70; 617 or 89'5 ; 75"6 or ii3'4 ; and 170 6 

 respectively. A system which necessitates this amount 

 of manipulation of experimental results will certainly fail 

 to commend itself for adoption by chemists. The pro- 

 posed change of beryllium from 9"2 to 8 is directly opposed 

 by the determination of the vapour density of the chloride 

 by Nilson and Pettersson, and if adopted would cause 

 this element to become still more divergent from the law 

 of Dulong and Petit. The vapour density of indium 

 chloride as determined by Nilson and Pettersson is in 

 accordance with the accepted atomic weight of that ele- 

 ment and opposed to that given by Mr. Wilde. . The 

 elements associated in the first and second groups re- 

 spectively, may be allowed to pass as natural allies, but 

 the separation of carbon from its analogues, silicon, tita- 

 nium, &c., and its association in the third group with 

 aluminium, scandium, gaUium, &c., is a violation of known 

 relationships. The four halogens according to their 

 atomic weights belong to the author's first (Hn) group. 

 They are regarded as the negative analogues of the alka- 

 line metals and are therefore placed in a separate column 



