io8

I

1

m

A circumstance that appears to me to offer a good deal ofscientific interest and to whichlhave paid a particular attention inmy paper, is the fact, that the chemical affinity of some elementarybodies, for certain substances, is, in many instances, very muchenhanced by bringing those bodies into such a State, as ought,according to our present notions, to make them less inclinedto enter into a chemical combination, than they are when notso conditioned. Chlorine for instance does not chemically unitewith isolated hydrogen at the common temperature and indarkness, whilst chlorinc being placed under the same circum-stances readily combines with hydrogen, if the latter bodyhappens to be chemically associated with Sulphur, Selenium,Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Arsenic, Antimon}', Tellurium etc. Oxigendoes not unite with hydrogen without being heated or put incontact with Platinum, if both elements happen to exist in anisolated State; but oxigen being associated with sulphur, andhydrogen being combined with the same substance, do readilyform water even at very low degrees of temperature. Chemistryteems as it were, with facts of a similar description. As far as1 know very Httle or no attention has as yet been paid to theinfluence exerted by one ingredient part of a binary Compoundupon the chemical bearings of the other constituent part. Thisinfluence, however, is to my opinion well worthy of beingcloscly studied and very far from being explained by the prin-ciples of what they call the electro-chemical theory. As to thelatter, do you not think it high time to subject it to a mostsevere and scrutinizing review ? To my humble opinion it restsupon a very doubtful and unsatisfactory matter of fact foundation.

If Mr. Ryhiner 1 the bearer of these lines should happen todeliver them in person to you, pray receive him kindly and let

1 A very well known name at Bale. Perliaps he was a son of Prof.J. H. Ryhiner of Bäle. A Madame Ryhiner is mentioned in letters to Schcenbeinfrom Grove (Nov. I4th 1843), who speaks of Mr. Ryhiner as her son, and fromde la Rive (Jan. iith 1847).