On Chemical Proportions, by Berzelius

With Berzelius thoughts begins the quantification of chemical substances, in atomic proportions, while assessing to the atomic term a universal ontological signification (Berzelius, 1813-1814)  

The fact that elements are combining in different proportions when there is no force to be opposing to their reunion, added up to the observation that when two bodies A and B are combining in different proportions (the additional proportions of one of them are always multiple of integer number 1, 2, 3) lead to the conclusion that there is a cause which made other combinations impossible. Now, what was this cause It was clear that the answer of this question should constitute the principal of the theoretical chemistry. 

When reflecting on this cause, it seems obvious that there is a natural mechanism and which represent itself most probable and comfortable to the experience, employing the idea that the elements consist in atoms or molecules which are combining as 1 to 1, 1 with 2 or 3 with 4. Even the chemical proportions law seems to clearly result from this. An idea like this was very simple and most likely to not be adopted and even to not be proposed until our present time. As best as we known the English philosopher John Dalton (guided by the experiments of Bergman, Richter, Wenzel, Berthollet, Proust and others) was the first person which was ventured to establish such hypothesis. 

On the other side, there seems necessary that when an atom of the element A is combined with one or more atoms of the element B (in order to 

An atomic compound, for obvious rationalizations, cannot be considered spherical. But, because it is made by atomic mechanical indivisible parts (or which cannot be separated by mechanical methods) the atomic compound is almost completely mechanically invisible as an elementary atom. Also, it was obvious that an atom made from A+3B should be bigger, and has a different figure respecting an atom made by A+B. The figure (structure) should have the form of an equilateral and triangular pyramid, while the last one should have a linear form. 

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