M. Nobili on New Electro-Chemical Phenomena. 311 



2. A green resin. 



3. A great proportion of gelatine. 



. 4. Some earthy and alkaline salts, oxide of iron, &c. 



This analysis demonstrates the existence of an organized 

 animal substance, and confirms the opinion of some naturalists 

 respecting the origin of products of animal nature which 

 have been lately met with by several chemists in a great num- 

 ber of mineral waters. 



Aiit. XXXII. — On a New Class of Electro-Chemical Pheno- 

 mena. * By M. Leopold Nobili. 



In the very curious experiments which we are about to de- 

 scribe, M. Nobili makes use of a pile of twelve small elements, 

 having a surface of an inch square. He concentrates the cur- 

 rent which proceeds from one of the poles in a platina wire 

 with a sharp point, which is immersed in the liquid to be de- 

 composed. He then conveys the current of the other pole 

 into a conductor terminating in a disc, or flat surface of metal, 

 which is placed in the liquid within half a line of the point of 

 the platinum wire, and perpendicular to the current. The 

 phenomena which M. Nobili observed, showed themselves on 

 the surface of the metallic plane. They depend on the na- 

 ture of that plane, and have their origin precisely opposite the 

 point of the platina conductor. The liquids employed were 

 "generally strong solutions of the salts mentioned. 



Sulphate of Copper. — The platinum point communicating 

 with the negative or copper end of the pile, and a silver disc 

 with the positive end, they are both plunged in a solution of 

 sulphate of copper in the manner already mentioned. Oppo- 

 site the platinum point, there is then found on the silver Jour 

 or Jive concentric circles, alternately bright and dark. 



When the silver communicated with the negative end of 

 the pile, there was commonly formed three small concentric 

 circles, by the deposition of copper proceeding from the de- 

 composition of the sulphate. The smallest and the largest 

 circle were of a deep red colour, and the intermediate circle 



* Abridged from the Bibl. Universelle, Dec. 1826. p. 302. 



