CONTENTS. Gay-Lussac: Law of Volumes-Hypothesis of Avogadro-Hy- PAGE Objections to the Principle of Berzelius's Notation-Discus- Notation of Gerhardt-Ideas of Laurent-Reform of Canniz- zaro-Table of Atomic Weights-Law of Volumes-Present System of Atomic Weights deduced from the Law of Avo- gadro-Apparent Exceptions to the Law of Avogadro -Atomic Constitution of the Elements-New Atomic Weights in Harmony with the Law of Dulong and Petit THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE ATOMIC WEIGHTS OF THE at ena THE ATOMIC THEORY. BOOK I. ATOMS. CHAPTER I. HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION-RICHTER- DALTON. THE hypothesis of atoms, put forward by the Greek philosophers, and revived in modern times by great thinkers, acquired a definite form at the beginning of this century. John Dalton was the first to apply it to the interpretation of the laws which he and Richter recognised as governing chemical combinations. Confirmed by the great discoveries of Gay-Lussac, Mitscherlich, Dulong and Petit, the hypothesis has assumed a definite form, connecting many various facts. of a chemical and physical nature. Fundamentally it consists of modern ideas upon the constitution of matter. In common with correct ideas, it has grown with time, and nothing has as yet happened to stop its pro |