on Endosmose and Eocosmose. 325 



depended upon the chemical nature of these porous plates. 

 But it must be remarked, that these latter experiments agree 

 perfectly with those we have described above relative to the pro- 

 perty which the aluminous solids possess alone among the mi- 

 neral solids, in producing endosmose by means of the electri- 

 city of the pile. These solids thus possess alone the power of 

 causing endosmose by means of contact with heterogeneous 

 fluids, for slate which creates it like clay, is itself an alumi- 

 nous solid. This fact no longer leaves any doubt respecting 

 the cause of the phenomenon of endosmose. This cause is un- 

 doubtedly electricity. Capillary attraction has evidently no 

 connection with this phenomenon, since the porous plates with 

 a siliceous base and a calcareous base cannot produce it, not- 

 withstanding their capillarity. These last solids are in rela- 

 tion to the endosmose inactive solids. The aluminous solids 

 and the organic solids are those only which we yet know as be- 

 ing active solids in relation to the endosmose. I have not tried 

 with this view the effect of the magnesian solids, nor of the so- 

 lids of barytes or of strontian. In general these experiments 

 prove that the permeable membranes which separate heteroge- 

 neous fluids possess a particular action in the production of 

 endosmose. These solids, which I denominate active, are 

 alone fit to exercise this action which is not possessed by in- 

 active solids. The organic membranes are eminently active 

 in this point of view, but they do not enjoy this property in 

 all its fulness, except in the sound state. I have shown that 

 when these membranes putrify, they lose one part of their pro- 

 perty of causing endosmose ; they tend then towards the inac- 

 tive state. We have seen above that in relation to endosmose 

 fluids are divided also into active fluids and inactive fluids; 

 we have seen that the organic fluids, eminently active in the 

 sound state, become inactive when they putrify. Thus ex- 

 periments prove, that, in relation to endosmose, there are 

 active solids and inactive solids, and that the active solids may 

 possess this property of activity in a degree more or less emi- 

 nent, and that according to their chemical composition. Ex- 

 perience also proves that there are active fluids and inactive 

 fluids, and that the active fluids may possess the property of 

 activity in a greater or less degree, and that according to their 

 density or their chemical composition. Thus the endosmose 



