-Am.  Jour.  Pharni. ) 
August,  1882.  j 
Quinine  lodate  and  Br  ornate. 
415 
of  lime  to  produce  a  molecule  of  calcium  orthophosphate — Ca(P03)2 
+  2CaO-=Ca3(P04)2. 
Carbon  dioxide  and  carbon  monoxide  are  poisonous,  but  the  latter 
is  by  far  the  more  poisonous.  According  to  the  modern  doctrine  of 
atomicity,  carbon  atoms  have  four  bonds,"  that  is,  a  carbon  atom  has 
an  atom-fixing  power  equal  to  that  of  four  atoms  of  hydrogen  or  other 
monad  elements.  In  carbon  dioxide  the  four  bonds  of  the  carbon 
atom  are  fully  satisfied  by  the  four  bonds  of  the  two  oxygen  atoms, 
o=c=o. 
In  carbon  monoxide  only  two  of  the  carbon  atom  bonds  are  in  com- 
l)ination  with  oxygen,  and  the  remaining  ])onds  combine  with  each 
other,  C=0.    Such  a  molecule  is  said  to  be  unsaturated. 
High  Molecular  Weights  a  Cause  of  Physiological  Activity. — High 
atomic  weight  and  complex  molecular  structure  are  stated  to  be  causes 
of  high  physiological  activity.  The  poisonous  elements  j^iave  as  a  rule 
higher  atomic  weights  than  elements  belonging  to  the  same  groups 
which  are  comparatively  physiologically  inert.  There  are,  however, 
exceptions  to  these  rules.  Lithium,  with  an  atomic  weight  of  7,  is 
more  active  than  sodium,  with  an  atomic  w^eight  of  23.  Arsenic,  with 
a  lower  atomic  weight  than  antimony,  is  more  poisonous  than  the  lat- 
ter. Chlorine  in  the  free  state  is  more  active  than  iodine,  thoup-h  on 
the  wdiole  the  iodine  compounds  used  in  medicine  have  somewhat 
smaller  doses  than  the  corresponding  chlorine  compounds. 
Rabuteau  found  that  with  one  exception  (that  of  methyl  alcohol) 
the  toxic  power  of  the  alcohols  increased  with  their  molecular  weight. 
Amyl  alsohol,  which  has  a  molecule  composed  of  18  atoms,  is  eight 
times  more  poisonous  than  ethyl  alcohol,  the  molecule  of  which  con- 
tains 9  atoms.  On  the  other  hand,  oxalic  acid  has  a  molecular  weight 
of  90,  and  is  poisonous,  whilst  malic  acid,  Avith  a  molecular  weight  of 
134,  is  a  constituent  of  wholesome  fruits.  Albumin  has  a  very  hio-h 
molecular  weight. 
K^uper oxidized  Bodies. — Physiological  activity  seems  to  be  more 
influenced  by  an  unsaturated  condition  of  molecules  than  bv  their 
molecular  weight  or  degree  of  complexity.  It  is  also,  I  am  disposed 
to  believe,  influenced  by  a  condition  of  molecules  which  I  venture  to 
describe  as  superoxidized.  In  potassium  iodide  ^ve  have,  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  quantivalency,  a  saturated  molecude.  The  salt  is  com- 
posed of  two  monad  elements,  and  the  um't  of  ecpiivalence  of  each  of 
its  two  a(oms  is  fully  satisfied.    According  to  the  gi-aphic  or  ])i('torial 
