TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 35 
On the Mode of Developing the Magnetic Condition. 
By the Rev. W. Scoressy, D.D., F.RS. 
Dr. Scoresby stated that he had, at York, shown a new and superior mode of deve- 
loping the magnetic condition in properly prepared and hardened steel bars, by inter- 
posing a thin plate of soft iron between the operating magnet and the bar of steel to 
be magnetized. He had, at that time, supposed it to be necessary to extend the thin 
plate of soft iron the entire length of the bars of steel to be magnetized. But he had 
since found this to be by no means the case; since by laying any number of unmag- 
netized bars of steel in a long line, and passing along them a horse-shoe magnet with 
its poles connected with a thin polished plate of soft iron (he used common hoop iron), 
the ends being slightly bent upwards to cause it to pass more freely over the steel 
bars, and then turning them over and renewing the process on the other face, he found 
he could communicate to the bars the full charge which they were competent to re- 
ceive. The author exhibited this experiment: and by simply passing a horse-shoe 
magnet thus armed with an interposed piece of sheet iron, once over each face of 
twelve previously unmagnetized bars of steel, he communicated to them so much 
power as that they sustained their 6wn weight, when held up as a chain. 
F 7 
On the Constitution and Forces of the Molecules of Matter. By Dr. Laminc. 
In this paper the author applied a theory of the molecular constitution of matter in 
forty-two distinct propositions to the explanation of gravitation, temperature and spe- 
cific heats of gases, cohesion, affinities, latent heat, volume, disturbances of electrical 
equilibrium, and other electrical phenomena, with electro-motion and electro-chemical 
decomposition. In this theory, matter is regarded as constituted of atoms; each of 
which consists of three sorts of spherical atoms, distinguished as basic, calorific, and 
electrical. The only force it recognizes is attraction. The basic atoms do not attract 
one another, neither do the calorific; but the electrical attract each other with a force 
reciprocally as the square of their distances. ach electrical atom attracts calorific 
atoms around it, and each basic atom attracts calorific in unlimited numbers; whilst 
it also attracts around it electrical atoms, in some large but definite number. This 
number is in each case unchangeable, but the basic atoms differ one from another in 
attracting around them a greater or less number of electrical atoms. The force be- 
tween basic and electrical atoms is much greater than that between the electrical 
_ atoms mutually; hence one of these is termed the major, the other the minor 
electrical force. The attraction of the basic for the calorific atoms is intermediate 
between these. The attraction of the electrical for the calorific atoms is the greatest 
of all the mutual forces. The immediate consequence of these forces is to cause 
_ each electrical atom to be surrounded by calorific atoms, and each basic atom to be 
then enveloped with these electrical atoms, in greater or less number according to 
_ its chemical nature, but in each case definite. One of these basic atoms so sur- 
rounded is the elementary molecule of matter, or the simple atom of the chemist. 
_ Each basic atom thus surrounded by its sphere of electrical atoms constitutes an elec- 
_trosphere ; but a change of the calorific atomospheres of the electrical atoms of this, 
_ may cause a change of their arrangements about the central basic atoms, so that some 
_ of the electrical atoms may be thrown out on the surface of the electrosphere and 
thus become complementary ; and it is upon the mutual actions and relations of these 
complementary atoms that all electrical and other phenomena involving change are 
“supposed to depend. One remarkable consequence of this theory is, that pravitation 
_ depends on the electrical atoms alone; and that hence a positively electrified body must 
_ be heavier, and a negatively electrified body lighter, than the same body with its elec- 
tricity in the ordinary undisturbed state. This the author proposed to prove experi- 
' mentally to the Section. 
On Atmospheric Waves. By W. R. Birt. 
In introducing his report, the author noticed the steps he had taken during the last 
autumn for observing the great symmetrical wave of November. Instructions de- 
tailing the instruments to be observed, times of observation, &c., were drawn up and 
forwarded by him to gentlemen interested in meteorological research, and also other- 
D2 
