TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 41 



Law II. — Two volumes, viz. that of the extremes. 



Carbonic acid 0(C)0 



Water vapour H(0)H 



Methylene or methyle H(C)H 



Deutoxide of chlorine 0(C1)0 



Alcohol H2C(H20)CH2 



^ther UiC^(Ufi)C^U^ 



CEnanthic aether H4C2(H26Cj402H20)C2H4. 



&c. 



One volume. 



Nitrous acid (NOg) 



defiant gas (CHj) 



Benzin (CH)2CH={C3H3) 



Olein {CH2)2CH2=(C3H6)*. 



&c. 



On the Constitution of Matter. By Sir G. Gibbes, M.D. 

 The principal point in the paper was the attempt to establish the formation of heat 

 by the union of the two fluids of electricity. 



On the Alteration that takes place in Iron by being exposed to long-continued 

 Vibration. By W. Lucas. 



At the last meeting of the British Association, held at Cork, this subject was again 

 brought forward, and certain specimens of iron exhibited, in order to show the effects 

 produced upon the iron by being exposed to a certain degree of concussion or vibra- 

 tion during the process of swaging, and again restored to its original state by being 

 annealed, in accordance with the results detailed by Mr. Nasmyth, at Manchester, in 

 1842 ; in addition to these were also exhibited specimens of portions of the same iron 

 that had been exposed to the concussion of a large tilt hammer, working at the rate of 

 about 350 strokes per minute, which occasioned the bars of iron to break short off at 

 the point of bearing in the course of twenty-four hours ; there was also shown a por- 

 tion of one of the hammer shafts, the texture of which had evidently been altered, 

 probably by the long-continued and repeated concussions to which it had been exposed ; 

 for instead of breaking with the splintery fracture common to wood, it broke with a 

 peculiar short fracture, and this, Mr. Lucas is informed, is a very common occurrence. 

 In continuance of these experiments upon the effects of concussion or vibration, Mr. 

 Lucas laid before the Section the results of some further experiments. 



The specimens now exhibited were portions of the iron already alluded to which 

 had been fastened upon the top of a tilt hammer working at the speed previously 

 mentioned, and allowed to remain in that position for a period of from six to seven 

 months ; it may be proper here to remark, that they were so placed that no tensile 

 force was exerted, but only a vibratory action, and that was communicated to them 

 through the body of the hammer itself; and a mere inspection of these specimens will 

 convince almost any individual that an alteration has been produced in the mole- 

 cular constitution of the metal in comparison with the original specimens, as in the 

 specimens Nos. 1 and 3 the original fibrous texture has in a great measure disap- 

 peared and been replaced by a crystalline one, whilst in No. 2 (which has been pre- 

 viously swaged) it has entirely disappeared, and the iron has become perfectly crystal- 

 line; and it is probable that by further exposure to this action the crystals may increase 

 in size, and assume a more definite form. 



* These elements also unite in two volumes, as in Dr. Faraday's oil-gas. 



