368 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. IV. 



considerable notice of which was taken and a full description given by 

 the journals of that date. The electricity was applied in this machine 

 by means of a carbon shod diaphragm, which moved backwards or for- 

 wards over the surface of amalgamated copper plates, the electricity 

 being supplied by a small dynamo. The advantages claimed for this 

 invention were that the electricity as conducted by the carbon shoes kept 

 the surface of the mercury clean and bright, volatilizing any sulphur or 

 arsenic which came in contact with it and agitating any other metallic 

 constituent present, thus keeping them from coming in contact with the 

 mercury and allowing the gold and silver the full benefit of the pure 

 mercury. No further comment is required on this subject, further than 

 that these inventions enjoyed existence for a very short time. 



