520 Mr. J. J. Waterston on Chemical Notation, 



XT l TT I r\"| 



Reverting to the single molecule HKO, or 1 , 39 , g r = 47*5. 



When it is heated with potassium, " the remaining half of the 

 hydrogen is displaced and anhydrous potash, KKO, is formed/' 

 which KKO Mr. Watts holds is a single molecule. The remaining 

 half of the hydrogen is H = J, andK = 39 substituted for it gives : 



H+K+Ol " ,.-,., T ^™ K+K+O"! oa 



1 , oq , o >-= 47 # 5 converted into KK9, or qq.qq.o > = 86, 



which is stated by Mr. Watts to be a single molecule of anhy- 

 drous potash, which is thus represented as being composed of 

 78 potassa in union with 8 of oxygen, instead of 39. 



On the other hand, if HHO represents 2 molecules of water, 

 H = l, and = 16, the line through the O representing = 2 x 8, 

 showing that Gerhardt understood his symbol O to represent a 

 dual nature, but unfortunately avoided fractional exponents. 

 Let 0* represent one of those components of O, and 0* the 

 other; then 11110 = HO*. HO* = two molecules of water; and 

 K brought in contact displaces one H, forming one molecule of 

 the hydrate KO* . HO*; and this, heated with potassium, ex- 

 changes the remaining H for another K, forming 



K0iK0* = 2K0*, 



or twice the molecule of the potassa contained in the hydrate. 



Can anything be clearer than this ? Will no chemist enter the 

 list and advocate the V.D. system, which after all is but Ger- 

 hardt's system slightly modified, so that there should be nothing 

 but arithmetical symbols required. But the advantages attend- 

 ing the alteration are great, as will be acknowledged in due time 

 if it ever be adopted. 



A few formulae are appended as illustrations of the system. 



C is taken at 12, 



an 



dCi= 



= 6, 



i 



unknown as 



Bo „ 



11, 



)) 



Bo^= 



-KI 



^ 



vapours. 



Fl 



19, 



)} 



Fl*= 



-Ql 



J 





CI 



36: 





the spec, gi 



av. 



of its vapour. 



As 



150 





a 





» 



a 



S = 



96 





a 





» 



)> 



P = 



64 





3) 





a 



a 



Hg = 



100 





» 





}> 



a 



The product of 100 by -033, the specific heat of mercury, is 

 3*3. This number, divided by specific heat of iron, gives Fe= 56 ; 

 by the specific heat of aluminium, gives Al=27. And these 

 weights correspond to the vapour-densities of their compounds 

 with chlorine, &c. as follows : — 



