426 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVI. No. 1192 



Atomic Number 

 2 

 4 



Atomic Welglit 

 4 



8 

 12 

 16 

 20 

 24 



5 X 4^ neon 

 6X4 = magnesium 



12X4 = titanium 

 13X4:^ chromium 

 14 X 4 = iron 



Now, the extremely remarkable fact is 

 that the atomic weights given above are the 

 atomic weights of the even numbered ele- 

 ments, with only one exception. 



If the twenty-six elements from helium 

 to cobalt (atomic weights from 4 for 

 helium to 59 for cobalt), inclusive, are con- 

 sidered, it might be assumed that the even 

 numbered, or one half of the elements, 

 should have atomic weights divisible by 4. 

 Indeed, while there are two exceptions to 

 the exact system, just 13 of these elements 

 do have such atomic weights, and every 

 possible multiple of 4 but one is taken, as 

 is shown in the following table : 



1 X 4 ^helium 

 2X4=: missing, and 

 replaced by 2 X 4 -|- 1 



3x4 = carbon 

 4X4 = oxygen 



8X4 = sulphur 



9 X 4 ^missing, but 



replaced by 10 X 4 = 



argon 



10 X 4=:calciimi 



11 X 4 = scandium 



Thus, since the even-numbered elements 

 of high atomic iveight give off helium atoms 

 when they disintegrate, and in such a way 

 that for each helium atom lost the heavy 

 atom changes into the atom of the element 

 which has an atomic number which is 

 smaller by 2; and since the even num- 

 bered elements of low atomic weight have 

 atomic weights which increase by four, or 

 the atomic weight of helium, for each in- 

 crease of 2 in the atomic number, the nat- 

 ural assumption is that the even numbered 

 elements are compounds of helium. To dis- 

 tinguish them from chemical compounds 

 they may be called intra-atomic. At least 

 for the elements of low atomic number, 

 their general formula is nUe', where the 

 prime is added to indicate an intra-atomic 

 compound. 



THE ELEMENTS OP ODD ATOMIC NUMBER, OR 

 ELEMENTS OF THE HELIUM-H3 SERIES 



If the odd-numbered elements, beginning 

 with atomic number 3, or lithium (atomic 

 weight = 7), are built up according to a 



TABLE ni 

 The Helium — E^ System of Atomic Structure H = 1.0078 



Increment from Series 2 to Series 3^4He. Increment from Series 3 to Series 4 = 5 He (4 He for 

 K and Ca) . Increment from Series 4 to Series 5 = 6He. 



