On the Natural Arrangement of the Consonantal Sowids. 363 



that, as is to be expected, this circumstance occurs to a much 

 larger extent in the case of bromine than of iodine*. 



On connecting the rules regulating the voltaic decomposi- 

 tion of solutions and the transference of substances held dis- 

 solved, we observe that no substance, when in a state of trans- 

 ference, suffers direct voltaic decomposition. Acids and al- 

 kalies suffer transference, but not direct decomposition. On 

 the other hand, salts, whether oxyacid or hydracid, are not 

 transferred, but are resolved into their constituent acid and 

 alkali. 



We cannot, however, say that every substance which is 

 not transferred is directly decomposed. Thus we can hardly 

 doubt that such compounds as bromide of iodine do not sufier 

 voltaic transference, seeing that their constituent elements are 

 not transferred ; and we have further seen that this combina- 

 tion is not dii'ectly decomposed in solution. Probably also 

 some cases of chlorides exist, in which, trom peculiarity of 

 atomic constitution, or other circumstances, there is neither 

 ti'ansference nor direct decomposition. 



Erratum in the former part of this paper in No. 117: page 247, line 

 44, fo)- non-negative read now negative. 



LIX. On the Natural Arrangement of the Consonantal 

 Sounds. By H. Wedgwood, Esq. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal. 

 Gentlemen, 

 OEEING from your last (February) Number, p. 124, that you 

 ^ do not consider speculation on such a subject foreign to 

 the plan of your publication, I am induced to send you a 

 scheme of all the simple consonantal sounds, exhibiting, in a 

 tabular form, a complete synopsis of their relations with each 

 other. 



The first point to be settled is the list of the sounds that 

 are to be the subject of arrangement, which are far from co- 

 inciding with those represented by the consonants of the 

 English alphabet. In our mode of writing many simple con- 

 sonantal sounds are represented by a combination of letters, 

 and conversely, some of our simple consonants are used to 

 represent compound sounds, while others are used on differ- 

 ent occasions as the representatives of more than one simple 

 or compound sound. 



• Long after these experiments were made and conclusions drawn, 1 

 observed that M. Bectiiicrel had also found that bromine and iodine in 

 solution unite with hydrogen under voltaic action.— /;«<«/«/, Juiii, 1840. 



