Molecular Dissymmetry. y 



Pasteur and Faraday : Note on Dr. Tyndall's Intro- 

 duction to the English Edition of the "Histoire 

 d'un Savant par un Ignorant." By F. J. Faraday, 

 F.L.S. 



It is not generally known that Faraday's latest attempt 

 at experiment was in relation with the researches of Pasteur. 

 During a recent conversation with Miss Jane Barnard, that 

 lady informed me that she one day found her uncle engaged 

 with certain vessels containing solutions which he was 

 revolving and observing very attentively. He desired her 

 to take great care of the apparatus, remarking that the 

 inquiry was an important one in connection with the 

 work of Pasteur, The incident occurred, however, during 

 that closing period of Faraday's life for which he had 

 himself prepared by warning those about him, that, when 

 it had evidently arrived, his wishes were no longer to be 

 treated as commands. 



I am disposed to think that on the occasion in question 

 the fading mind of our great philosopher had reverted to 

 impressions produced at the time, twenty years before, when 

 his own researches and those of Pasteur appeared to touch. 

 The two groups of researches on the magnetisation of light 

 and molecular dissymmetry respectively, are the subject 

 of comment in Dr. Tyndall's introduction to Lady Claud 

 Hamilton's translation of M. Radot's " Histoire d'un Savant 

 par un Ignorant." Miss Barnard's story has led me to read 

 again Dr. Tyndall's remarks, Pasteur's statement of his 

 views on the phenomena of the rotation of the plane 

 of polarised light by organic compounds, and Faraday's 

 own paper on the magnetisation of light, forming the nine- 

 teenth series of the " Experimental Researches in Elec- 

 tricity." I venture to hope that a consideration of the 

 opinions therein severally expressed may usefully occupy 

 the attention of the Society. 



