Mr. W. Sturgeon on the Theory of Magnetic Electricity. 20 1* 



point out the similarity between these results and his. M. Las- 

 saigne's iodides of platina are two, — the prot-rodide and the 

 bi-iodide ; Mr. Kane's only iodide is a sesqui-iodide ; M. Las- 

 saigne's iodide of platina and potassium contains 1 atom of 

 bi-iodide of platina, and 1 atom of iodide of potassium ; 

 Mr. Kane's (of questionable accuracy), 1 atom of sesqui-iodide 

 of platina, and 1 of iodide of potassium. M. Lassaigne men- 

 tions an hydriodate of ammonia and platina, consisting of 2 

 atoms of bi-iodide of platina and 1 of hydriodate of ammonia. 

 Mr. Kane has what he calls an iodo-platinate of ammonium, 

 containing 5 atoms of sesqui-iodide of platina, and 1 atom 

 of ioduret of ammonium. 



Mr. Kane seems to claim great credit for the more philo- 

 sophical manner in which he views the nature of the iodides 

 of platina than M. Lassaigne does. M. Lassaigne " examined 

 the compounds of iodide of platinum with iodide of potas- 

 sium, &c. as double iodides; whilst I investigated them as 

 iodine salts, in which the iodide of platinum is the electro- 

 negative (acid) element," &c. &c. I confess I wish Mr. Kane 

 would return to the simpler views entertained by M.Lassaigne; 

 for I am afraid that at the rate at which innovation in nomen- 

 clature is proceeding, every month will produce a new lan- 

 guage; for if when two iodides combine, one must be an acid 

 and the other a base, I do not see why any compounds what- 

 ever may not be at the same time acids, alkalies, and salts. I 

 had intended to make some further remarks on Mr. Kane's 

 nomenclature, but these I shall postpone. In concluding I 

 would observe, that in line 7, p. 310, vol. i. of the Dublin 

 Journal, in Mr. Kane's paper, iodide of potassium is printed 

 instead of iodide of platinum; and in p. 311, line 6 from the 

 bottom, the sentence "its formula (IJI + PL) + (I -f PI), 

 and its atomic weight = 471," should be. (I J. I + PI) + (I 

 -f K), and its atomic weight = 451; for Mr. Kane has just 

 before mentioned the composition to be a compound of 1 atom 

 of sesqui-iodide of platina, and 1 of iodide of potassium. 



XXXII. OnthcTheory of Magnetic Electricity. %Mr.Ww. 

 Sturgeon, Member of the British Association for the Pro- 

 motion of Science ; Lecturer at the Hon. East India Com- 

 pany's Military Academy, Addiscombe, fyc. tyc. * 1 



[Continued from p. 37-] 



T^HE theory of electric excitation by magnetic agency will 

 ■*- be embraced in the following Positions: — 



Position 1. — Magnetic electricity may be excited in all the 

 metals, and perhaps in some other conductors of electricity. 

 Third Series. Vol. 2. No. 9. March 1833. 2 D 



