Higgins, Bryan

The name molecule in its present meaning was used by Gassendi (see Vol. II, p. 462), Spielmann, Bryan and William Higgins (see Vol. Ill, pp. 727, etc., 739, etc.), and occasionally by Dalton (see Vol. Ill, p. 781). The names integrant, constituent, and elementary molecules were introduced by Fourcroy. Avogadro consistently uses the names (i) moUcule (molecule), either an atom or a molecule in modern terminology (2) molecule integrant... 

Bryan and William Higgins are treated on the basis of their own writings, the claims of the first in relation to the second being pointed out. The claims of William Higgins have been intemperately asserted, mostly in ignorance of the prior contributions of Bryan. William Higgins has been given credit for all that he is entitled to claim. 

VII. Philosophical Empiricism containing Remarks on a Charge of Plagiarism respecting Dr. H—s [Bryan Higgins], interspersed With various Observations relating to different kinds of Air, London, 1775 (see p. 728). 

The formation of nitrous oxide on heating ammonium nitrate had apparently been noticed by Bryan Higgins about 1775 he speaks of the curious decomposition of nitrous ammoniac. . . effected by distilling. . . and passing the vapour thereof thro water into an inverted vessel void of air he showed that the air supported the combustion of many substances as when common air acts on them, in like circumstances . Black, also, had noticed it (see p. 142). 

This theory was also taught by Black, as appears from statements by his pupils. Bryan Higgins refers to experiments ... 

Bryan Higgins discovered acetamide by distilling ammonium acetate, and described its properties, including its precipitation by silver nitrate, and its m.p. 170° (correctly 177°). He devised the experiment of wrapping moist copper nitrate in tinfoil, when nitrous fumes are evolved, then fire is produced which bursts and fuses the tinfoil in several places. The chemical harmonica , in which a jet of hydrogen burning in a vertical glass tube produces a musical note, was shown to Sir Joseph Banks in 1777 and frequently later to others. It was described by J. A. De Luc and Hermbstadt. ... 

For Bryan Higgins saturation means combination in definite proportions, which he says had not previously been explained. Acid fluid (hydrochloric acid gas) and alkaline fluid (ammonia gas), when mixed in the quantity necessary for their reciprocal saturation condense to solid sal ammoniac (he fails to mention Priestley) ... 

Bryan Higgins confined chemical combination of two elements to union of particle with particle his binary molecules contain one atom of each element. Fordyce (see p. 693) considered union of one particle with two particles William Higgins considered the combination of one particle of one element with two or more particles of another element (see p. 742). 

Bryan Higgins described a quantitative experiment of distilling lead acetate and concluded that ... 

This is obviously based on the speculations of Bryan Higgins (see p. 735) William s indebtedness to him was overlooked by previous writers except Mddrum. Higgins says ... 

Higgins, therefore, took the formulae of sulphur dioxide and trioxide as SO and SO2 and the quantities of oxygen for a given weight of sulphur as in the ratio I 2 instead of 2 3. How he could arrive at the composition of sulphur dioxide without assuming equality in weights of the atoms of sulphur and oxygen is not clear. His name saturation is taken from Bryan Hig ns. 

Davy, as President of the Royal Society, in presenting the Royal Medal to Dalton in 1826, said that many ideas of William Higgins had been anticipated by Bryan Higgins in 1786, and as these were known to William ... 

Bryan Higgins — William Higgins — Higgins and Dalton. 

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