Clifton College Scientific Society. 75 



experimentally, in 1852, by Messrs. Fremy and Becquerel, 

 and fully verified. Sclionbein, pursuing the same course of 

 investigation, had arrived at the same conclusion, namely, 

 that ozone was only electrified oxygen, or oxygen in a 

 peculiar state of chemical afiinity or allotropic modification. 

 These results were an-ived at by the consideration that they 

 were able to procure ozone from pure oxygen, without any 

 contact with hydrogen at all, by the passage of an electric 

 discharge. In 1852, Becquerel and Fremy proved that the 

 whole of any given volume of oxygen could be entii'ely con- 

 verted into ozone, provided that the ozone, as formed, was 

 absorbed by oil of tui-pentine, the absoi-ptive power of which 

 had only been recently made known by Soret. This clearly 

 indicated its composition, and there is now every reason to 

 believe that the much-discussed problem as to the constitu- 

 tion of ozone has at last been solved. Ozone — originally 

 discovered by the odoui- of an electric discharge — is thus 

 produced in Nature during thunderstorms, auroras, &c. ; and 

 it has been said that plants during the night emit this 

 remarkable principle, and that part of the peculiar fresh 

 smell which may be perceived in the early day is due to its 

 presence, and hence the invigorating efi'ect of the early 

 morning air. It has also been said that ozone, in conjunc- 

 tion, of course, with the powerful bleaching properties of the 

 chemical rays of the sun, plays an important part in the 

 bleaching of linen spread out to whiten in many parts of the 

 country. These facts appear to have been verified by 

 Daubeny ('J. Chem. Soc' 1867-69), who has demonstrated 

 that plants, while growing in the sunshine, emit minute 

 quantities of a body that liberates iodine fi-om potassic 

 iodide (KI), which is most probably ozone, since he at the 

 same time proved the absence of chlorine and nitrous acid 

 (NgOg), substances which act upon potassic iodide in a similar 

 manner. There is a striking connection between the presence 

 of ozone on the air and the existence of certain epidemic 

 diseases, such as influenza, cholera, and the like. Ozone is 

 generated in large quantities in the atmosphere during 

 thunderstorms and other electric phenomena, as I have 

 before mentioned ; here, then, we have an explanation of the 

 strong sulphurous smell which pervades the air where a 

 shock has taken place, for this choking odour would natu- 

 rally remind persons of the smell of burning matches (sul- 

 phurous acid) ; some observers have compared the odour 

 with that of phosphorus. An unconscious testimony to the 

 similarity of odour of a discharge of lightning is recorded by 

 Professor Schonbein. A Swiss engineer named Buckwalder, 



