Bunsen, in 1852, exploded mixtures of carbonic oxide and electrolytic gas in different proportions in order to test the correctness of the “Law of Mass.” According to this law the division of oxygen between two combustible gases depends both on the relative affinity of the two combustibles for oxygen, and on the quantities of them present. In 1857 Bunsen published some further experiments on the same subject. He concluded from his results that the Law of Mass was modified in a particular way by the tendency of the atoms to form simple hydrates of carbonic acid; so that the ratio of carbonic oxide to hydrogen might be changed within certain limits without altering the proportion in which the oxygen divides itself; but, on still further changing the ratio of carbonic oxide to hydrogen, the proportion in which the oxygen divides itself changes
per saltum
. The ratio between the carbonic acid and the stream produced in the explosion might always be expressed, according to Bunsen, by small integers. In 1874 E. v. Meyer published experiments on the incomplete combustion of mixtures of carbonic oxide and hydrogen by oxygen and by nitrous oxide. He concluded that the division of the oxygen between the combustible gases changes
per saltum
, and that the ratio between the carbonic acid and steam produced might always be expressed by whole numbers, hut not always by small integers.