Copy 1, Volume 1

Hand-book of chemistry / Translated by Henry Watts.

  • Gmelin, Leopold, 1788-1853
Date:
1848-1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hand-book of chemistry / Translated by Henry Watts. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    57/562 (page 33)
    ss AFFINITY. go J. Dumas, on Isomerism, Ann. Chim. Phys. 47,824; also Pogg. 26,315, Spec. Gr. of Vapours. Ann. Chim. Phys. 50, 170. Legons sur la Philosophie Chimique. Paris. Thomas Graham. Elements of Chemistry. London, 1838. Translated into German by Otto. Braunschweig, 1840. J. Persoz. Introduction 4 l’Etude de la Chimie Moléculaire. Paris et Strasbourg, 1839. Frankenheim, on Isomerism. J. pr. Ohem. 16, 1. H. Kopp, on the Relation between the Atomic Weights and Spec. Gr. of Liquid and Solid Compounds. Pogg. 47, 183; 52, 248 and 262; also Ann. Pharm. 36, 1. Ammermiller, on the same subject. Pogg. 49, 341. Hi. Schroeder, on the same subject. Pogg. 50, 552; 52, 269 and 282. Biot, on Atomic Chemistry. J. pr. Ch. 22, 321. L. Gmelin. Artikel-Verwandtschaft in G'ehler’s Physikalischen Worter- buch. Ausg. 2, b. 9, 8. 1857. Synonymes: Chemical Attraction, Chemical Force, Elective Attraction, Hlective Affinity, Chemische Kraft, Verwandtschaft, Wahlverwandtschaft, Wahlanzehurg, Afinitas, Attractio Hlectiva, Afinité. History. Chemical combination was in early times attributed to the general principle of Hippocrates that like assorts with like: hence the word Affinity (Verwandtschaft) which seems to have been first employed by Barchhusen. Becher assumed, in accordance with this dogma, that when two bodies are capable of combining they must contain a common principle. Others, among whom was Lemery, supposed that solvents are furnished with a number of sharp points by means of which they are more or less adapted to insinuate themselves into the pores of solid bodies and combine with them. According to Stahl’s theory, chemical combination proceeds from the intimate approximation of the parts of the combining bodies but not exactly in the manner of a wedge. Newton was the first who referred chemical combination to the principle of universal attraction, though he at the same time partly assumed that this attraction between ultimate particles is not exactly the same as that which acts between the great bodies of the universe. Geoffroy the elder, in 1718, drew up the first Table of Affinity, which was subsequently enlarged and corrected by Gellert, Wenzel, Bergman and Guyton-Morveau. ‘The idea that many chemical combinations take place in definite proportions only had occurred _ to some of the older chemists, eg., Wenzel, Bergman, Kirwan; and they endeayoured to determine these proportions, This view was confirmed _by Richter, Proust, Gay-Lussac, Dalton and Berzelius, and expanded into the Theory of Definite Proportions or Stoichiometry. I, FunpAMENTAL Norion of AFFINITY. Affinity is that kind of attraction by virtue of which bodies of dis- similar nature combine together into a whole which appears perfectly uniform to the senses, even when assisted by the most powerful instru- ments. ‘I'he act of union is called Chemical Combination™, the resulting product a Chemical Comopund, and if it be fluid, a Solution. The dis- * The term Combination is sometimes also applied to the resulting product: the corresponding German word Verdindung is applied indiscriminately to the act of com- bination and to the product. [W.] VOL, f. D