Chemistry and Physics. 63 
Baltimore, May 16, 1883. 
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 
: I. CHEMISTRY AND Puysics. 
1. On the Variability of the Law of Definite Proportions.— 
A year or more ago, Schutzenberger announced that in analyzing 
some hydrocarbons, the sum of the carbon and hydrogen was 101 
for 100 parts material; the result under other conditions 
being normal. BovurLErow has called attention to this anomaly, 
as illustrating views he has held for three years. 1e result can 
be accounted for by supposing (1) that the absolute quantity of 
ponderable matter has increased, that which we call energy being 
transformed into that which we call matter; or (2) the quantity 
of matter remaining the same, its weight has increased; neither 
of which hypotheses are admissible; or (3) that the weight of the 
substance has not varied but its chemical value has changed. If 
when the classic researches of Stas are taken into the account. 
Hence he has undertaken a series of experiments to test it. 
fixed the absolute constancy of atomic weights, it is true, but | 
ay be other conditions: 
ition of bodies 
will vary. : 
that the atomic weights cannot be expressed in whole numbers; _ 
