Relative weights. [oxygen] Oxygen 6·5 [hydrogen] Hydrogen 1 [carbon] Carbon 5 [azote] Azote 5 The following symbols represent the way in which he thought these atoms were combined to form certain binary compounds, with the weight of an integrant particle of each compound: Weights. [oxygen][hydrogen] Water 7·5 [oxygen][azote] Nitrous gas 11·5 [carbon][hydrogen] Olefiant gas 6 [azote][hydrogen] Ammonia 6 [oxygen][carbon] Carbonic oxide 11·5 The following were the symbols by which he represented the composition of certain tertiary compounds: Weights. [oxygen][carbon][oxygen] Carbonic acid 18 [oxygen][azote][oxygen] Nitrous oxide 16·5 [carbon][hydrogen][carbon] Ether 11 [hydrogen][carbon][hydrogen] Carburetted hydrogen 7 [oxygen][azote][oxygen] Nitric acid 18 A quaternary compound: [oxygen][azote][oxygen] Oxynitric acid 24·5 [oxygen] A quinquenary compound: [oxygen] [azote] [azote][oxygen] Nitrous acid 29·5 [oxygen] A sextenary compound: [carbon][oxygen][carbon] Alcohol 23·5 [hydrogen][carbon][hydrogen] These symbols are sufficient to give the reader an idea of the notions entertained by Dalton respecting the nature of compounds. Water is a compound of one atom oxygen and one atom hydrogen as is obvious from the symbol [oxygen][hydrogen]. Its weight 7·5 is that of an atom of oxygen and an atom of hydrogen united together. In the same way carbonic oxide is a compound of one atom oxygen and one atom carbon. Its symbol is [oxygen][carbon], and its weight 11·5 is equal to an atom of oxygen and an atom of carbon added together. Carbonic acid is a tertiary compound, or it consists of three atoms united together; namely, two atoms of oxygen and one atom of carbon. Its symbol is [oxygen][carbon][oxygen], and its weight 18. A bare inspection of the symbols and weights will make Mr. Dalton's notions respecting the constitution of every body in the table evident to every reader.