150 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT 



shall always be equilibrium between the car- 

 bonic acid in the solution and in the atmos- 

 phere. Further, let the temperature be such 

 that the absorption coefficient of carbon 

 dioxide shall be 1.000. Then the successive 

 states of the solution will be approximately 

 as recorded in the following table: — 



(H) 



000000057 



000000059 



000000068 



000000083 



000000108 



000000154 



00000026 



0000010 



0000022 



00026 



00045 



0027 



N 



Relative 

 Alka- 

 linity 



1.76 

 1.70 

 1.47 



1.20 



0.93 



0.65 



0.39 



0.10 



0.045 



0.0039 



0.0022 



0.00037 



From the beginning of the experiment until 

 almost 250 grams of hydrochloric acid have 

 been added, neither alkalinity nor acidity is 

 double in intensity the values w T hich obtain 

 in a perfectly neutral solution. This amounts 

 to a constancy of reaction which, until a few 

 years ago, was scarcely known to the chemist 

 at all. Such close approach to neutrality 



