The Study of Chemical Composition

Introduction. The method of the inductive sciences. Observation, generalisation and law. Hypothesis and theory; 1. Theories of combustion; 2. Lavoisier and the law of conservation of mass; 3. Exact and approximate laws; 4. Bethollet and the law of mass action; 5. Proust and the law of fixed ratios; 6. Dalton and the law of multiple ratios; 7. Richter and the law of equivalent ratios; 8. Combining or equivalent weights. Symbol weights; Appendix A. A selection of combining weight values; 9. The ultimate constitution of matter. Hypotheses prior to 1800; 10. Dalton and the atomic hypothesis; 11. Gay–Lussac and the law of the combining volumes of gases; 12. Avogardo and the molecular hypothesis; 13. Cannizzaro and the application of Avogardo's hypothesis to the determination of molecular and atomic weights; 14. Petit and Dulong and the law of atomic heat; 15. Mitscherlich and the connection between chrystalline form and chemical composition; 16. Mendeleef and the periodic law; 17. Kekulé and the doctrine of valency; 18. Berzelius and isomerism; 19. The ultimate constitution of matter and the genesis of the elements; Index.