310 -— Scientifie Intellagence. 
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 
I. CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS. 
. Possible Variability of the Law of Definite Proportions.— 
a the July number of this Journal (page 63 of this volume), 
_ Professor Barker has given a we ~ summary of the views of 
Boutlerow on this subject, which have been recently presented 
to the a Society of Paris va "Waste, and emphatically 
endorsed in the discussion which followed by Schutzenberger. 
The oui was then and there clearly expressed that the “ chem- 
ical value” of a copstant weight (or rather mass) of a substance 
ht vary, and that the so-called atomic weight of an element 
“might be simply the carrier of a certain amount of chemical energy 
which is variable within narrow limits; and vary the question 
was asked whether “Prout’s hypothesis may not be a true law 
which like that of Mariotte admits of a limited vanities 
over numerous facts were cited, chiefly nia sro ots quantitative 
- opinions are certainly very revolutionary, ands oe fia 
damental sett 
penetration” of masses which may vary with the relative ce 
of their chemical energy acting at the time ; and this change oe 
the fundamental conception is inconsistent with the atomic theory 
and with the superstructure which modern chemistry has built : 
it. 
1 co 
In the connection above referred to it is stated that Boutlerow sy 
had held the views then advanced for the past three years. Such 
views are, however, by no means new. ey were not only ex- 
pressed, but fully worked out by the writer more than twenty-five . a 
years ago. The ey were i resented to na American — of 
“On Two New Crystalline Com of Zine d on 
and on the Cause of the Variation of Composition ob 1 
their Crystals.” The same subject was also discussed in a paper 
ye rami in this Journal, “ — an A parent Perturbation of the o 
o of Definite Proportions o ed in the Compounds of Zine 2 
oo ae Antimony ” (Second A vol, =x, 1855). In In these papers: the . 
opinion under discussion were brought forward, not pong 
_ Ss speculations, but as a legitimate theory, which was advanced to to 
