REPORT ON CHEMISTRY. 
415 
formation within a narrow range. A similar cause also has 
prevented the appearance among us of any more extended di¬ 
gest, such as the yearly statements of Berzelius, from which 
might be gleaned a general knowledge of the new views and 
researches to which the chemical philosophers of other countries 
are advancing. 
The object of the following Report is in some measure to 
supply this defect in our literature. I regret only that the 
necessity of condensing it into as small a space as possible, has 
compelled me reluctantly to pass over many interesting facts, 
and to confine myself chiefly to those reasonings and researches 
which in the present state of our knowledge appeared to occupy 
the more important place. 
The work on the History of Chemistry lately published by 
Dr. Thomson, has rendered any historical details unnecessary, 
and enabled me to confine my attention exclusively to the more 
recent chemical investigations. I shall therefore first give a 
brief view of those differences which now prevail among chemists 
in regard to certain points connected with the atomic theory, 
and of those new and interesting doctrines which late experi¬ 
ments have raised to a distinguished rank in the philosophy of 
the science; and then present an outline of the recent progress 
of organic and inorganic chemistry. 
The investigations of analytical chemistry,—which have of late 
years been prosecuted with great zeal and success,—have had 
two objects in view; first, to determine with accuracy the true 
nature of the substances which compose the various products 
of the organic and inorganic kingdoms; and secondly, the exact 
ratio which the weights of the different constituents bear to 
each other. Among the earlier analysts the former inquiry 
necessarily assumed the higher place; since the promulgation 
of the atomic theory the latter has become of the greater im¬ 
portance. 
Combining ratios .—In regard to these combining ratios of 
bodies, or their atomic weights, two differences of opinion 
prevail among chemists; first, as to the true weight of the atom 
of each of the simple substances; and second, as to the relation 
they all bear to a common submultiple. 
All chemists admit as a fundamental principle that the only 
combining proportions of bodies on which we can depend, are 
those in which the most accurate experimenters have found 
them to enter into the composition of compound bodies; and 
that these proportions (weights) may from time to time be cor¬ 
rected by the results of new experiments more skilfully con¬ 
ducted. On this principle, by the comparison of experimental 
results alone, the earliest atomic weights r.eceived in this coun- 
