122 Scientific Intelligence. 
uld 
far into the spectrum as at the end of the last August. The Earth’s 
atmosphere was evidently not transparent for the very highly refrangi- 
ble a of the sun’s hae ——Pogg. Ann., |xxxix 
a body when brought at the same time into contact with two or more 
other bodies. ‘The views of Berthollet upon this subject are familiar to 
chemists ; Bunsen has however found that Berthollet’s law is inaccurate. 
He substitutes for it as the result of his researches, a new law whic 
may be kes in the four following propositions. 
le Mati a body A is brought into contact with two or more bodies 
B, BY’, &c., present in excess an nd under circumstances favorable to com- 
rat hoes the body A, selects only such quantities of the bodies B, B, 
cc. as are to each other in a simple stéchiometrical abparabe so 
that together with 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. pes of the one compound 1, 2, 
4, &c. atoms of the other are form 
2.) When one equivalent of the compound A-FB, is formed in rn 
manner together with one equivalent of the compound A+-B’, the qua 
tity of the body B compared with that of the body B’ may be cranial 
up toa certain limit without changing the ratio of the numbers of 
equivalents. If, however, this limit is passed the ratio of the equiva- 
to 1:2, 1:3, 2:3, &e. The quan- 
tity of the substance may now again be increased without changing the 
ratio of the equivalents until a second limit is paisa: when the ratio 
passes into another 
3.) When a body A reduces a compound B--C present in excess 
so that C becomes free a compound o and B being formed, then if 
can exert a reducing return action upon A+B, the final result of the 
decomposition is such that the reduced baci of B+C is in a simple 
equivalent ratio to the now reduced portio 
(4.) In these reductions also the quantity of one substance may be 
increased up to a certain limit without changing the atomic ratio. Above 
this limit, sudden changes of the ratio may occur butalways according 
to small rational numbers. 
These laws obviously hold good only when the combinations con- 
cerned take place simultaneously, since otherwise the relation of the 
ing. The 
called oxyd of Aridium is ineroly oxyd of iron with a little phosphoric 
acid and oxyd of chromium.—Journal fur praktische Chemie, Ix, 27. 
* 
