163 



Ordinary Meeting, January 7th, 1862. 



Edward Schunck, Ph.D., F.R.S., Vice-President, in 



the Chair. 



Prof. Dr. Johannes Gistel^of Kempten in Bavaria; Federico 

 Lancia di Brolo, Inspector of Studies in the University of 

 Palermo; and James Nasmyth, Esq., C.E., were elected 

 Corresponding Members of the Society. 



A Paper was read by J. P. Joule, LL.D., President, 

 entitled, " Experiments on some Amalgams." 



The weakness of the affinity which holds the constituents 

 of amalgams in combination seemed to the Author to oiFer 

 the means of studying the relationship between chemical and 

 mechanical force. His inquiries were extended to several 

 amalgams, and gave results of which the following is a 

 summary : — 



Amalgam of iron was formed by precipitating iron on 

 mercury electrolytically. The solid amalgam containing the 

 largest quantity of mercury appeared to be a binary compound. 

 Iron does not appear to lose any of its magnetic virtue in 

 consequence of its combination with mercury. Its amalgama- 

 tion has the effect of making it negative with respect to iron 

 in the electro-chemical series. The affinity between mercury 

 and iron is so feeble that the amalgam is speedily decomposed 

 when left undisturbed, and almost immediately when agitated. 

 The application of a pressure of fifty tons to the square inch 

 drives out so much mercury as to leave only thirty per cent of 

 it in the resulting button. 



Proceedings— Lit. & Phil. Society— No. 8.— Session 2861-62. 



