Nexo Galvanic Experiments and PJucnomena fjof) 



which they point, and whicli will form an epocha as rich and 

 brilliant as any ot those which have blessed the annals of 

 science. This may be reserved for the Newton of a future 

 age; but we shall have merit in accumulating the materials 

 that are finally to unfold in harmony and beauty beneath the 

 plastic touch of that great genius, which may be yet to come. 



It is in this spirit that I submit to yovi a variety of galvanic 

 experiments, as far as / know, netij; and not unaccompanied, 

 it is presumed, with interest. 



I find that silver foil may be deflagrated, and in a very bril- 

 liant manner, in alcohol and in ether, when immersed in these 

 liquids, and the wires 2)roceeding from the ends of the porce- 

 lain cells are introduced and brought into contact with the 

 interposed silver foil. In like manner may gold and copper 

 foil, 8cc. be so ignited. 



The same brilliant deflagration may be sustained in naphtha, 

 tulphuret of carbon, and the vapour of ether. 



No remarkable brilliancy or other phaenomenon attended 

 the burning of the silver-leaf, &c. in oxygen or chlorine. 



The deflagration of silver-leaf in carbonic acid gas yields 

 a bluish green light. 



Silver-leaf was deflagrated with great beauty and brilliancy 

 in an inverted jar of hydrogen ; and at the close of the experi- 

 ment the wires were withdrawn to ignite the gas at the orifice, 

 and to prove that the contained elastic medium liad suffered 

 no change. 



Alcohol being kindled in a watch-glass; a steel wire was 

 stretched across the flame. This wire was ignited and ex- 

 panded only where it passed through the outer lamina^, on each 

 Bide of the cone* ; but on the conducting rods being attached, 

 the ignition darted through the wire, though the portion of 

 wire 'doithin the body of flame did 7iot expand. — At this mo- 

 ment the wire was fused and dispersed in brilliant ignited 

 globules. 



A plati/uan "wire similarly circumstanced, expanded, and 



\^as 



• Tliis serves to prove in like manner, if indeed any farther evidence 

 were necessary, that ^anu- is merely superfuiul. At jiage 27 of Mr. (.'hil- 

 dren's truly valualjle translation of " 13erzelius on the Blowjjipe," the dis- 

 covery of the IwUotmicss of fiame is excl usivcli/ attributed to Mr. Oswald 

 hiym. Hut / ttad also, Mr. ("iiildren will find, announced the same fact 

 tiinultaiirouxli/, as recorded in the cdiitetnpomncous Number of the Philoso- 

 phical M:ii;azine. If there was any thin>; in tiie asserted cou/iiifr influence 

 of wire-gfiiizr, Mr. Sym's exj)eriment was no proof wtmlcorr. Aly cxpcri- 

 nient was made with a plate of gints, and was clear and unc(|uivocal, I 

 nftervvards proveii the fact in tlic most iiwinitcstihlc iii/iHiirr, by showing 

 that when an Ignllrd laprr was introduced into such a cone it became in- 

 ttaniiy v.itinci, and, moreover, even that plnispliont.'i itself, in the most 



rapiil 



