312 Royal Institution. 



Feb. 1. — Mr. Faraday on the Identity of Electricity derived from 

 different sources.' — The development this evening was the matter of 

 a paper lately read to the Royal Society, but not yet noticed in our 

 " Proceedings of Learned Societies." In the present state of his experi- 

 mental investigations, it became a matter of great importance with Mr. 

 Faraday, to prove or disprove the identity of the common, voltaic, ani- 

 mal and other electricities, especially as of late many opinions have 

 been put forth unfavourable to the view of their identity. On com- 

 paring them by their various powers, however, he saw no reason to 

 doubt their being alike ; and taking common and voltaic electricity, he 

 proceeded to prove the matter as regarded the chemical and magnetic 

 power of the agent in these forms. He first showed the chemical power 

 of common electricity, in pavt confirming, and in part correcting Dr. 

 Wollaston's results, and extending them so as to render the proof 

 visible to the whole audience. He then did the same with the mag- 

 netic powers of common electricity, showing their nature and amount, 

 and fully confirming Colladon's statement. Finally, by reference to che- 

 mical and magnetic action, Mr. Faraday compared the electricity from 

 a common machine to that evolved by a single pair of plates, and found 

 that two wires, one of zinc, the other of platina, -,v of an inch thick 

 and -,v apart, immersed to the depth of -§- of an inch in acid, consist- 

 ing of I drop of oil of vitriol to4oz. of water for T v of a minute, evolved 

 electricity equal to that which could be supplied by a fine plate elec- 

 trical machine 50 inches in diameter, and in full action during 30 

 revolutions. 



Many modes were then shown by which common electricity could 

 be converted as it were into voltaic j and in one case the charge of a 

 large Leyden battery was passed through the tongue, producing no 

 other effect than that occasioned by the contact of two pieces of zinc 

 and silver. 



Feb. 8. — Sir Anthony Carlisle gave an account of his views relative 

 to the causes of supposed Hereditary Diseases. He denied their de- 

 rivation from parent to child, and considered them as brought on by 

 weakness of constitution, or improper food or clothing, or unhealthy 

 situations as to climate, &c., and gave such directions with regard to 

 the general course of procedure as to clothing, food, habits, &c.,as he 

 thought best fitted to counteract their production or development. 



Feb. 15. — Professor Ritchie on a Peculiar Mode of Communicating 

 Scientific Knowledge to Youth. 



Mr. Ritchie stated, that to give effect to any system, the teacher 

 must possess certain qualifications. Among these must be an accurate 

 knowledge, not only of the particular branch which he teaches, but 

 also of collateral subjects, that he maybe able to draw his illustrations 

 from the most interesting sources. In order to give a boy some con- 

 fidence in his own strength, the teacher should carefully avoid using 

 any epithet which might lead the boy to believe that he was stupid 

 — the term 'Dunce' ought not to be known in schools. 



The plan usually adopted in teaching elementary science in schools, 

 is the synthetical mode of instruction. The plan recommended as 

 having been found most successful, is strictly analytical. In arith- 



