PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 147 



globules soon ceased upon tte positive side, but continued on the 

 negative side. The centre of this wall of milk globules became more 

 and more transparent, while the wall itself grew thicker. On re- 

 versing the current, the transparency at once disappeared, and a line 

 of globules started off from both sides into the liqiiid, but on again 

 transmitting the current as before they were again attracted. On 

 permanently changing the direction of the cm-rent this wall was en- 

 tirely dispersed and reformed near the opposite pole. The wall itself 

 was seen as a thin transparent gelatinous tissue rising from the surface 

 of the slide, and was considered to be a true coagulation. 



A precisely similar experiment upon a drop of water containing a 

 few grains of fine floui', showed the formation of a similar wall ; but 

 in this case the wall quickly resolved itself into a spiral-shaped cloud 

 of very fine particles, which spread out indefinitely towards the posi- 

 tive pole ; and soon after vortices were seen in this mass of particles, 

 while within them plates and rings of the particles themselves were 

 seen revolving with different degrees of rapidity. The motion stopped 

 at every break of the current. 



That the flow of milk globules was not due to the flow of gaseous 

 bubbles (evolved by the electrolysis) was proved by repeating the ex- 

 periments under conditions which allowed the gas to rise at once into 

 the air ; and also under conditions whereby no gas was evolved, when 

 a similar flow of particles in the same direction uniformly occurred. 



The writer's explanation was that the phenomenon arises from the 

 electrolysis of the water in the milk, and that the coagulation takes 

 place in the casein, but he believes that the experiments of Jiirgensen 

 and of Quincke upon the mechanical transport of fine particles from 

 one pole to another, do not account for the somewhat similar motions 

 observed by him in the coagulation of casein and other albmninoids. 



The same methods of investigation being applied to albumen were 

 found to lead to different results, according to the strength of the solu- 

 tion ; undiluted egg-albumen at once yielding a thick wall round the 

 positive pole. From a thinner solution the wall is strangely broken 

 and renewed, while from one thinner still the coagulum forms between 

 the two poles, but is soon broken up into dust-like particles. 



The fact that albumen coagulates at the positive pole is well 

 known, having been observed by M. Lasaigne ; and the conversion of 

 albumen into fibrin has been described by Mr. A. H. Smee, in a paper 

 published in the 'Proceedings of the Eoyal Society' for 1863. 



A watery solution of blood serum yielded a coagulum at the junc- 

 tion of the waves from the poles, the side towards the negative pole 

 being of a bright scarlet colour, while that towards the positive pole 

 appeared green. In the case of undiluted fresh blood, coagulation 

 began near the positive pole, but there was no attraction of disks. 



A solution of legumin from bitter almonds presented similar ap- 

 pearances to milk, except that the coagulum was darker and more 

 tenacious, but the bright median portion was wanting. 



February 7th, 1871.— Dr. Shettle concluded the reading of his 

 paper " On the Evidence to be obtained as to the Natiu-e of the Vital 

 Force, from a minute study of Anatomy, and of the Laws which 



