Hqyal tnjlitute of Great Britain. ^Si 



ROYAL INSTITUTE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



It mull give pleafure to bur readers to learn that this new 

 and ufeful inftitution, the objed of which is the application 

 of fcience to the common purpofcs of life, may be now 

 confidered as fettled on a firm bufis. The ledures of Dr. 

 Ganiett have been fuch as to do equal honour to the inftitu- 

 lion and the profeflbr, and have been well attended. 



We have alfo to notice a courfe of" lectures, juft com- 

 menced at the inftitution, otl anew branch of philofophy — 

 we mean the Galvanic phasnomena. On this intereftiilg 

 branch Mr. Davy (late of Bfiftol) gave the firft lecture on 

 the 25th of April. He bcgail with the hiltory of Galvanifm, 

 detailed the fncceflive difcovefies, and defcribed the difFefent 

 methods of accumulating galvanic influence. Poliflied 

 plates of different metals, and the effect of their lying to- 

 gether in conta6l with water and air, werd exhibited. Air 

 is abfolutely neceflary to the oxydating procefs. He ob- 

 ferved that it was difficult to prove that hydrogen was given 

 out in the decompofition of water in this way, and that it 

 feemed rather probable that alkali was formed. He fhowed 

 the effects of galvanifrn on the legs of frogs, and exhibited 

 fome interefting experiments on the galvanic effeds on the' 

 folution of metals in acids. 



By fome recent experiments of this ingenious chemifl it 

 appears, that with one kind of metal only, more powerful 

 etfecls may be produced than with two as heretofore em- 

 ployed ; but in this cafe there mud be more than one liquid 

 interpofed between the plateg. Mr. Davy flates that copper, 

 for example, and difcs of cloth or pafleboard moiliened with 

 diluted nitrous acid, and iblutions of muriat of foda and 

 fulphurct of potafh, (and arranged in the order" in which 

 we have named them, vi2. copper, nitrous acid, muriat of 

 foda, fulphurct of potafli, copper, nitrous acid, Sec.) give 

 much more fenfible fliocks than the pile as at firfl con- 

 llru6led. 



Sir Jofeph Banks^ Count Ruftiford, and other diftingulfhed 

 philofophers were prefent. The audience were highly gra- 

 tiHed, and teftitied their fatlsfadlion by general applauf^. 

 Mr. Davy, who appears to be very young, acquitted himfelf 



Vol. IX. N n admirably 



