On eliminating the Signs in Star-Reductions, 251 



l^S. Whatever value this opinion may have, it seems to 

 me that the decomposition of albumen by the passage of very 

 intense induced currents is a fact which deserves the serious 

 attention of physicians and physiologists. The presence of 

 this body in the blood, in urine, in the eye, in amniotic liquors, 

 &c., requires caution in the employment of violent alternate 

 currents. 



14'1<. The appearances which I have described equally take 

 place in the albumen extracted from new-laid eggs, immersed 

 for some hours in the vapour of aether. They appear even 

 to be developed there more easily. 



145. It is perhaps well to add, that the production of these 

 bright coruscations indifferendyon the two electrodes negatives 

 any explanation founded on a different polarity of the platina 

 wires, and all analogy with the pheenomena investigated by 

 MM. Gassiot*, Haref, and NeeH'|. 



Geneva, June 18, 1840. 



XLI. On eliminating the Sigtis in Star-Reductions. 

 By S. M. Drach, F.R.A.S. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal, 



Gentlemen, 



THE subject of this paper was broached by the Astro- 

 nomer Royal in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astro- 

 nomical Society for January 1847. 1 beg to propose the fol- 

 lowing extension, eliminating even the indices of the logs, em- 

 ployed. 



Let A = E-P, B = F-Q, C = G-R, D = H-S; 



a = e—pi &c. a' = ^—p' for decl., or =p' — ^ for N. P. Dist, 

 P, p, p'i &c. are numerical constants afterwards determined. 



Corr. R.A. = SAa=2E^-2^P-SEp + 2Pp: 

 Corr. ^.P.D. = XAa' = ^Ee'-Xe'P-XEp' i-^Pp'. 



Let P=28'75, Q = 30-5, R = 1'35, S = 20 (R. A. given in 

 time). 



L Right ascension, ^? = 2% q = 2, r = 30*5, 5 = 2. 



* Archives de V Electricite, vol. iii. p. 240. 



\ Siliiman's American Journal, January 1841. I succeeded several 

 years ago in melting in an intermittent manner an iron wire of S"" diameter, 

 employed as a negative electrode on the surface of impure mercury in 

 which a copper wire bound to the positive pole is immersed. Twenty 

 Daniell's couples, or forty smaller Bunseu's, suffice for this experiment. 



X Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, vol. i. p, 30. 



