66 



REPORT — 1860. 



la concluding the author said, " He was anxious that philosophers should become 

 acquainted with these experiments, as he considered that the ideas which they con- 

 veyed, and the facts which they revealed, must modify our views of some of the cog- 

 nate sciences ; and he was of opinion that they gave rise to a new theory of coloured 

 refraction, jut that he was unwilling to enter on the subject of refraction, until 

 scientific men were acquainted with the phenomena of the chromoscope." 



CHEMISTRY. 

 On Ozone. By Professor Andrews, M.D., F.R.S., M.R.I.A. 



On the Deodorization of Sewage. By Dr. Bird. 



On the Quantitative Estimation of the Peroxide of Hydrogen. 

 By Professor B. C. Brodie, F.RS. 



On some Reactions of Zinc-Ethyl. By G. B. Buckton, F.R.S. 



Note on the Destruction of the Bitter Principle of Chyraitta by the Agency of 

 Caustic Alkali. By J. J. Coleman. 



On some remarkable Relations existing betxceen the Atomic Weights, Atomic 

 Volumes, and Properties of the Chemical Elements. By J. J. Coleman. 



The author commenced by referring to the labours of Kopp, Schroeder, Joule, and 

 Herapath, respecting the atomic volumes of the non-gaseous elementary bodies. 

 The term atomic volume being defined as "indicating the space occupied or kept 

 freefrom the excess of other matter by the material atom itself together with its investing 

 sphere of heat," particular attention was directed to a fact noticed some time ago by 

 Kopp, viz. that the atomic volumes of several elements correspond, so that they may 

 be arranged in groups. The author then proceeded to show that, in taking a group 

 of elements having equal or nearly equal atomic volumes, it would invariably be found 

 that the element possessing the least atomic weight would be the most chemically 

 active, the least reducible ; and, on the contrary, the element having the greatest 

 atomic weight would be found to be the most chemically inactive, the most reducible 

 member of the series. These important facts were demonstrated by quoting numerous 

 groups. Thus, amongst others, were brought forward the following, viz. : — 



Atomic 

 weight. 



f Manganese .... 27 - 6 . 



I Iron 28 . 



\.A Cobalt 29 . 



I Nickel 29 . 



(^Copper 32 



i Zinc 33 57 



2. I Palladium 53 57 



Platinum 98 57 



Atomic 

 volume. 



. 44 



. 44 



. 44 



. 44 



. 44 



I Chromium .... 27 

 Molybdenum . . 46 

 Tungsten 95 



66 

 66 

 66 



.. j Sulphur . 

 - ' ) Selenium . 



Atomic 

 weight. 

 . 16 

 . 39-5 



Atomic 

 volume. 

 , 101 

 , 101 



(Lead 103-7 114 



5. ^Silver 108 128 



Gold 197 128 



I Chlorine . , 

 6. < Bromine . , 

 I Iodine . . . 



35-5 

 80 

 127 



320 

 320 

 320 



(Phosphorus.. 32 211 



7. ^Antimony ..129 224 



( Bismuth 213 270 



Comparing together the members of the first group quoted, it was noticed that man- 

 ganese, having the least atomic weight, is the most chemically active, the most eager 

 in entering into combination with other elements, — iron, nickel, cobalt, and copper 

 following in due order ; whilst the facility with which the respective metals are 



