Proceedings of the Polytechnic Association. 093 



defiant gas, ether, alcohol, aniline, water, spermaceti and the gaseous 

 mixture forming the atmosphere, a combination of two or more of 

 these elements exhibit the most striking contrasts. On examining 

 hydrogen, oxjgen, nitrogen and carbon, separately, among otlier 

 peculiarities will be found the following : 



1. Three of them are permanent gases, which have resisted all 

 attempts to liquify them by means of cold and pressure ; and the 

 fourth i^ permanent solid, which in its purest form, the diamond^ 

 has maintained the same state, in 'Vacuo, under the highest degree of 

 heat yet applied. 



2. These elements are colorless under all attempts to change their 

 natural state, yet by combination they evince every tint and shade of 

 color. 



3. Taking the weight of the hydrogen atom at one, the combining 

 numbers of oxygen, carbon and nitrogen are low multiples of the 

 prime numbers two, three and seven, respectively ; from which the 

 inference is drawn that harmonic relations exist between the vibra- 

 tions or undulations produced by or in these elements. These coinci- 

 dences may seem to have little significance, but when taken in 

 connection with the remarkable relations of atomic weights of three 

 elements in several dilFerent groups discovered by Dumas, and the 

 general difference in the atomic weights of nearly all the elements, aa 

 pointed out by M. Carey Lea, they iiidicate the connecting links 

 between forin and motion, an allusion to which will be found in a 

 previous paper on harmonic relations, and seem to confirm the surmise 

 that all chemical elements are the ofi'^pring of the universal sether, 

 first quickened by the divine Author of all, and ever moving in 

 accordance with His stupendous plan. 



To return to nitrogen ; its connection with the highest prime 

 number which belongs to harmony, would indicate that it does not 

 frequently and readily enter into chemical combination. A natural 

 inquiry arises here, whether any element supplies the missing prime 

 number ? The atomic weight of calcium is a multiple of the prime 

 five. This brilliant yellow metal entej'S into the composition of all 

 bone, and, in combination witli oxygen and phosphorus, forms the 

 foundation of the animal str^icture. Aajple reasons may be adduced 

 for not finding in the atomic weight of phosphorus more simple 

 numerical relations ; however some significance must be given to tlie 

 fact that phosphorus forms just one-fifth of the weight of animal 

 phosphate. Two- other elements entering into the animal organiza- 



[Inst.] 63 • 



