602 
NATURE 
[ April 14, 1870 
portions of hydrogen respectively, accordingly as their 
constituent hydrogen is capable of removal in the ratios 
HHUAH 
iO Ere 
as to the relative unit weights of different chemical sub- 
stances, arrived at by the above or by some other method 
of attack, is the gist of the whole question. Admitted, 
the rest follows as a matter of course: and it will hardly 
be arguing in a circle to adduce the simplicity of what 
follows as a reason for admitting the position on which it 
is consequent. 
The relative unit weights of different hydrogen com- 
pounds being determinable in this way, certain relations of 
quantity subsisting among other common constituents of 
the different compounds become very quickly apparent, 
as shown in the following examples :— 
tae and = respectively. And this position, 
Caustic potash. 
1 hydrogen + 39 potassium + 16 oxygen 
Formic acid. 
2 hydrogen + 12 carbon + 32 oxygen 
Nitric acid. 
14 nitrogen 
1 hydrogen + + 48 oxygen 
Phosphoric acid. 
3 hydrogen + 31 phosphorus + 64 oxygen 
It is obvious that in the units of these different 
compounds, determined with respect to their constituent 
hydrogen, their constituent oxygen amounts to one, two, 
three, and four times sixteen parts by weight respectively ; 
and it further appears that, whenever the units of different 
compounds differ from one another by their amounts of 
constituent oxygen, the increment or decrement of oxygen 
is always sixteen parts or some multiple of sixteen parts, 
as exemplified in the case of mono-potassic succinate, 
malate, and tartrate, for instance— 
Potassium 39 + hydrogen 5 + carbon 48 + oxygen 64 
53 Py SOe tet Oct as AON me tegal SO 
” 39 ar 39 5 ao 29 48 at ted 96 
Thus, from an examination of the above,and of thousands 
of other instances, it would appear that the proportion by 
weight of constituent oxygen present in the reacting unit 
of any chemical substance is invariably sixteen parts, or 
some multiple of sixteen parts ; that when two or more 
units of chemical substance differ from one another by the 
weight of their constituent oxygen, the difference always 
amounts to sixteen parts, or some multiple of sixteen 
parts ; and, in fact, that sixteen parts by weight of oxygen 
constitute the smallest proportion by weight of oxygen, 
relatively to one part by weight of hydrogen, that can be 
introduced into, or educed from, any unit of chemical 
substance. 
Similarly it may be shown that twelve parts by weight of 
carbon constitute the smallest combining proportion of 
carbon, relatively to one-part by weight of hydrogen, and to 
sixteen parts by weight of oxygen ; and so, not only to car- 
bon and to oxygen, but to every presumed elementary body, 
there may be assigned a particular number, termed its 
proportional number, expressing the smallest proportion 
by weight of the particular body, relatively to one part 
by weight of hydrogen, that is found to exist in any unit 
of chemical substance. These relative quantities of the 
different elements, namely, one part by weight of hydrogen, 
sixteen parts by weight of oxygen, twelve parts by weight of 
carbon, fourteen parts by weight of nitrogen, twenty-three 
parts by weight of sodium (natrium), thirty-nine parts by 
weight of potassium (kalium), &c., &c., are denoted by 
the initial letter or letters of the names of the respective 
elements; so that the following composite expressions 
for the previously adduced potassium salts, 
Succinate KH;C,0, 
Malate KH,C,O,; 
Tartrate KH;C,0, 
indicate the unit weights of the several salts to consist of 
once thirty-nine parts by weight of potassium, of five 
times one part by weight of hydrogen, of four times twelve 
parts by weight of carbon, and of four, five, and six times 
sixteen parts by weight of oxygen respectively. 
To say that the relative proportions by weight of the 
different elements, expressed as above by the initial 
letters of their respective names, constitute the smallest 
proportions of them that are existent in and transferable to 
or from any unit of chemical substance, is tantamount to 
saying that they constitute indivisible or atomic pro- 
portions. Accordingly, the relative weights of these 
proportions are very commonly spoken of as atomic 
weights, and the proportions themselves as atomic propor- 
tions. Some most distinguished chemists maintain, indeed, 
that these atomic weights are really the relative weights of 
distinct physical particles, or atoms. Other chemists, 
while not denying that this may be so, do not admit that 
it necessarily must be so, and, when using the word “atom” 
at all, employ it simply as a convenient synonyme or 
abbreviation of the phrase “atomic combining propor- 
tion.” 
It is further noteworthy, that the above deduced ele- 
mentary atomic weights, or smallest relative weights of 
different elementary matter that are found to exist in a 
unit of chemical substance, also constitute the relative 
weights of different elementary matter which are specially 
comparable with one another in regard to space, to diffusive 
movement, to heat, and to single and multiple powers of 
colligation and mutual replacement. 
WILLIAM ODLING 
THE VOYAGE OF THE NOVARA 
Retse der Osterreichischen Frigatte “Novara” um die 
Erde, in den Fahren 1857-58-59, unter den Befehlen 
des Commodore B. von Wiillerstorf-Urbair. Anthro- 
pologische Theil. Bearbeitet von Dr. Fried. Miiler. 
(Vienna. 1868.) 
HIS important work scarcely appears to have 
attracted the attention it deserves, and we propose 
referring to a few of the more interesting facts it contains. 
The object of ethnography, Dr. Miiller observes, is not 
to regard man as an individual, but as a member of a 
family, and hence to consider him by such light as can be 
gained from the investigation of his speech, his thoughts, 
his feelings, and his entire mode of living. He thinks 
the classification of the different races of man in accord- 
ance with the colour of the skin and the characters of the 
hair, extremely unsatisfactory, though adopted by many 
of the best anthropologists of modern times, as Linnaeus, 
Blumenbach, Cuvier, Pickering, &c., nor less so the method 
———— 
