66 report— 1859. 



to double the equivalents of carbon and oxygen, and they ave well worthy of the calm 

 and deliberate consideration of a meeting like this. 



Such an alteration would produce an immense change in the literature of the science, 

 and should only be adopted if the benefit to be derived from it proved to be so great 

 as to justify the inconvenience. This subject will be brought before the Section on 

 more than one occasion. The change proposed has, in a great measure, resulted 

 from the new views of the classification of organic compounds introduced by Ger- 

 hardt. The recent brilliant progress in organic chemistry has resulted in the dis- 

 covery of a vast number of new compounds. A scheme of classification became 

 urgently necessary for them, and the genius of that great French chemist pro- 

 duced a system which has exerted a most important influence on the advancement 

 of science. The comprehensive system planted by Gerhardt has been carefully 

 watered and tended by our countrymen Williamson, Hunt, Odling, and Brodie — 

 until the young plant has attained a most vigorous growth. In a report upon 

 the state of organic chemistry, by one of these gentlemen, we shall have the advan- 

 tage of tracing its effect on the advance of science. Another of our members who 

 admires the beauty of the plant, and the excellence of the fruit it has borne, fears 

 that it is growing too wildly, and that the pruning-knife might be adopted with ad- 

 vantage. He therefore proposes for our consideration, in a paper which will be laid 

 before you, some modifications of the system of classifying compounds now so preva- 

 lent. With the array of talent in our Section, enlisted in favour of Gerhardt's system, 

 there will be full justice rendered to the merits of that lamented philosopher in any 

 discussion which may follow the reading of the paper to which I allude. In conclu- 

 sion, I have to congratulate the Meeting upon the important muster of English che- 

 mists in our Section ; although we have at the same time to regret that our cold 

 northern position has prevented our foreign colleagues from joining us, and enjoying 

 that welcome which the warm hearts of our countrymen would assuredly have accorded 

 to them. 



On the Solubility of Bone-earth from various Sources in Solutions of 

 Chloride of Ammonium and Common Salt. By Mr. Binney. 



On Pentethyl-stibene. By G. B. Buckton, F.R.S., F.C.S. 



This paper detailed the preparation of a new organo-metal compounded of one 

 equivalent of antimony and five of ethyl. The author stated that great difficulties 

 presented themselves in isolating the new body, from the tendency it showed to split 

 by distillation into ethyl and triethyl-stibene. In this decomposition it imitates the de- 

 portment of pentachloride of antimony, which by heat evolves chlorine. The existence 

 of this substance, the author conceived, had some importance, since it confirmed the 

 views lately advanced by some chemists, that the ethyl compounds of antimony and 

 of arsenic form no exceptional cases, but are most naturally referred to the types of 

 antimonious and antimonic acids, &c. 



On the Specific Gravities of Alloys. By F. Crace Calvert, Ph.D., 

 F.R.S., F.C.S. SfC, and Richard Johnson, F.C.S. SfC. 



The study of alloys and amalgams having been made especially with impure or 

 commercial metals, the results obtained have been such that it has been impossible to 

 solve the important question, Are alloys and amalgams chemical mixtures or com- 

 pounds? It is with the hope of throwing some light on this subject that we have 

 for the last two years been engaged in examining, comparatively, some of the physical 

 properties, such as the conductibility of heat, tenacity, hardness, and expansion of 

 alloys and amalgams made with pure metals, and in multiple and equivalent quantities 

 as follows : — 



By this method we have succeeded in ascertaining, first, the influence which each 

 additional quantity of a metal exerts on another; secondly, the alloys which are -com* 



