Some chemical difficulties of evolution / by J.J. Maclaren.

  • Maclaren, J. J.
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some chemical difficulties of evolution / by J.J. Maclaren. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    74/264 (page 52)
    brought 80 near together by external force, that the chemical aflfiaities mutually exerted between atom and atom of the various elements present in the molecules are brought into action, and these affinities are such that a rearrangement of the atoms present, and taking part in the reaction, must be .effected to obtain a molecule or molecules in which the internal chemical actions and reactions between the atoms composing it or them will be in equilibrium. (b) Cases where the action depends on change in the active quantivalence of one or more multivalent atoms. This may occur either («) where molecules of dif- ferent kinds are brought into proximity by external force, and the effect of the approach of the atoms forming the strange molecule is to give rise to a change in the active quantivalence of some multiva- lent atom, and thus to cause a disturbance of equili- brium which has to be adjusted by a rearrangement of some at least of the atoms present; or (6) where the atoms which satisfy a part of the active quanti- valence of some multivalent atom present in the mole- cule are united to this atom by an affinit}'' so feeble that they cannot resist the force of some external impulse, but are detached by it from their connection with the multivalent atom, whos.e active quantivalence then falls by reason of its partial self-satisfaction, and a rearrangement of the atoms present becomes neces- sary to obtain equilibrium under the conditions of a lower active quantivalence exhibited by the multi- valent atom in question.