ajS Scientific News, Accounts of Booh, ^c. 



fenficive life, as a rcfult of the changes which the animal follds and fluids are fufceptible of 

 undergoing, or as one of the fimple fubftanccs which they poffefs the peculiar property 

 of aflimilating. In the bodies of animals which are undergoing decompofition, phofphorus 

 appears to enter into allow combuftion. Without producing real flame, without at lead 

 the power of igniting combuftible bodies in its immediate vicinity, it becohies luminous, 

 and throws out flafhes of light amid the furrounding darknefs, fufBciently vivid to aiFord 

 fome real foundation for the exiftence of thofe phantoms, which people are at once 

 defirous, and afraid of feeing, in the neighbourhood of cemeteries. The brain and its 

 appendices, or rather the nervous fyftem in general, appears to be the peculiar refervoirof 

 phofphorus ; for it is the incipient decompofition of the cerebral pulp which gives rife to 

 thofe phofphorefcent lights which, during the darknefs of the night, are frequently ob- 

 ferved in anatomical theatres; apd it is chiefly around the brain expofed by being deprived 

 of the natural coverings, or the fragments of nervous matter lying on the tables, that they 

 are perceived. A variety of obfervations have led me to conclude that the quantity of 

 phofphorefcent matter developed after death, bears fome proportion to the adtivity of the 

 nervous fyftem during life. I think I have noticed that the brains of perfons who have 

 died of difeafes marked by a ftrong .lugmentation of this a£livity, gave a greater, as well 

 as a more vivid light. Thofe of maniacs are peculiarly luminous ; thofe of dropfical and 

 leucophlegmatic fubje£ts much lefs fo. 



Comlujlhn of Metals by Galvanifm. 



PROFESSOR Tromfdorf prefented to the Eledoral Society of ufeful Literature at 

 Erfurth, April 8th, a Volta's pile, and exhibited in the prefence of the Prince Bifliop dc 

 Conftanz, fome experiments, part before known, and part new. 



The pile of Profeflbr Tromfdorf was built up of i8o pair of plates, of zinc, copper, and 



wetted paper. 



The ftiock which this pile was capable of giving was very ftrong, and the fpark confi- 



derable. , 



Profeflbr Tromfdorf, after having fliewn the produ£lion of hidrogen, and oxigen gas, 



the oxidation and de-oxidation of metals, &c. exhibited the combuftion of metals, both 



perfed and imperfcft; a fa£l hitherto unknown to us-. 



A leaf of fine gold, after having been affixed to the zinc fi^e of the pile, took fire, and 



burnt with a crackling noife, when the wire of the copper fide was brought in contaft 



with it. 



A leaf of fine filver took fire in a fimilar manner, and burnt with a green flame ; brafs 

 burnt reddifli brown; laminated copper, emerald-green; zinc, whitiih-blue •, tin, red- 

 difh-white, &c. 



3 '" 



