710 



bv ail electrolytic way, will get nobler superficially ^), whereas the 

 newly deposited metal will be baser ^) than what went into solution. 



In the third place it was made probable that also the periodic 

 oscillations in the potential difference, which point to a periodic 

 enobling of the metal surface may be accounted for from the same 

 point of view. 



In the fourth place it was demonstrated why the contact of a 

 metal with the solution of one of its salts must exert an accelerating 

 influence on the setting in of the internal equilibrium of the metal. 



Finally attention was drawn to the possibility that on reduction 

 of metal compounds at low temperatures metal masses are obtained 

 which are far from the state of internal equilibrium, and can exhibit 

 an abnormally great chemical activity. This will be the case when 

 they differ from the ordinary metal states by a greater content of the 

 more simply composed kinds of molecules. The pyroi)lioric states 

 observed for some metals are possibly to be explai ned in this way. 



Anory. chemie, laboratory 

 Amsterdam, Dec. 20, 1913. of the University. 



^) This may also mean: becomes less base. 



(January 29, 1914). 



