O:; 



50 On the Elecirogene of Schmidt. 



viz. some accumulation in the system being removed by the 

 chen)icai union of vital air in the blood, the secretions by 

 the skin and kidneys being promoted, and the energy and 

 strength of the nqrvcs being restored, then tonic remedies 

 recovered the chylopoictic viscera to their due functions. 



I cannot avoid particularly observing, that this lessening 

 of the determination of blood to the head, is a fact of great 

 importance to all people subject to His or nervous head-achs. 



XLVII. On the Electrngene nfScujiJ IDT. Bi/ Count St EU-iJ- 

 BKUG, Vice-president of the Electoral Regenci/ of Ra- 

 tislon*. 



XX GRKAT deal has been said, for a year past, of M. Schmidt, 

 a chemist of Breslau, who insists that he has merited the 

 prize of sixtv thousand francs, w hich ought to have been 

 decreed to the author of the best discovery upon Galvanism. 

 The following is a succinct account of w'hat has been pub- 

 lished on the subject, extracted from a letter addressed to 

 M. Nauche, the physician, at Paris, by count Sternberg. 



M. Schmidt thinks he has discovered a body capable of 

 generating electricity, which he calls electrogene. This body 

 serves, with caloric, to combine the tuo constituent princi- 

 ples of the air — oxygen and azote, lis affinity with them is 

 weakened by the presence of the solar raj s. The latter aug- 

 ment, on the contrary, its affinity with water: this is the 

 reason why, in spring, electrogene partly quits the air to 

 unite with water, elevated by means of caloric, in the form 

 of elastic vapours. 



The degrees of intensity of the union of electrogene with 

 air and water are very variable, and thence proceed the va^ 

 riations in th.e elasticity of the atmosphere. 



The sea, by surcharging the atmosphere with aqueous va- 

 pours, absorbs electrogene, which endeavours to maintain an 

 equilibrium. For a contrary reason, the eartli tends to give the 

 air a part of its electrogene. This alternate combination and 



* From Diblioth. Phys. Economique, no. 4. an M. 



disengacetnent 



