158 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



phenomena. Edlnnd's theory consists essentially in ascrib- 

 ing to the aether itself an inertia which necessitates a slight 

 interval of time in order to affect its movement. The flow 

 of aether from one body to another explains the electro-dy- 

 namic phenomena, while its abundance or deficiency in any 

 body serves to explain the electro-static phenomena. As 

 regards the chemical influence of the galvanic current, it 

 is assumed that the electricity has an equal influence upon 

 the bodies that are to be separated or combined by it. The 

 rotation of the plane of polarization of light is elucidated 

 by the simple assumption that the electric aether is not dif- 

 ferent from the optical aether, and it must be acknowledged 

 that Edlnnd's theory is based upon well-known facts, and is 

 distinguished by its simplicity and sufficiency. 7 (7, X., 402. 



ON THE ELECTRICITY OF MINERAL WATERS. 



Professor Theory, of Geneva, and Dr. Minnich have con- 

 ducted some remarkable experiments in reference to the 

 electrified condition of the mineral waters of certain springs, 

 respecting one of which, the Stadthof, near Baden, in Switzer- 

 land, they state that their experiments show that the warm 

 water at its escape from the soil is quite strongly electrified, 

 it being negatively electrified with reference to the electric 

 current at the thermal spring at Limmat. The currents 

 observed by them are not the result of any thermo-electric 

 action, nor are they the result of any special electric chem- 

 ical action between the carbonic acid gas and the platinum 

 electrode, but appear to them to be peculiar to the spring- 

 water itself. 13 B, III., 186. 



THE STRATIFICATION OF ELECTRIC DISCHARGES IN VACUO. 



Messrs. De la Rue, Miller, and Spottiswoode have conduct- 

 ed a lon series of investigations looking to the ascertain- 

 ment of the cause of the stratification of electrical discharges 

 in vacuo. Without bringing their investigations to a close, or 

 pointing out any conclusions as distinctly reached, it is evi- 

 dent from their experiments that the stratification is due to a 

 peculiarity in the flow of the electricity, which flow is apparent- 

 ly of the nature of an intermittent discharge, whose period- 

 ical overflows, so to speak, take place at very short intervals, 

 and whenever the current acquires strength enough to over- 



