CHAPTER XXX.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY.

RADICALS—ACIDS—BASES—NEUTRALS.

In the introduction to these brief chapters upon Chemistry, we said that the science was divided into two sections, the first section consisting of the simple combinations, and the other of compound combinations. The latter being met with chiefly in animal and vegetable matter, as distinguished from dead or inert matter, was termed Organic. This distinction will be seen below.

COMBINATIONS OF SIMPLE GROUPS.COMBINATIONS OF COMPOUND GROUPS.
Inorganic.Organic.
I. Elements and their Combinations.
(1) Non-Metallic.
(2) Metallic.		I. Compound Radicals and their Combinations.
II. Peculiar Decompositions of the above.
(1) By Electricity.
(2) By Light.		II. Peculiar Decompositions of the above.
(1) Spontaneous.
(2) Dry Distillation.

We have already placed before our readers the elements and their simple combinations, and have incidentally mentioned the decomposition by electricity and by light. In the section upon Electricity the positive and negative poles are explained. Oxygen appears always at the positive pole, potassium at the negative. The other simple bodies vary. Chlorine, in combination with oxygen, is evolved at the negative pole, but when with hydrogen at the positive pole. In the series below each element behaves electro-negatively to those following it, and electro-positively to those above it; and the farther they are apart the stronger their opposite affinities are.

Electrical Relation of the Elements.