Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 541 



shorter wave-lengths, such as belong to rays within the limits of the 

 light spectrum: and in any case when a ray impinges on any absorb- 

 ing substance, its vibrations, being stopped, communicate to the mole- 

 cules of the body vibratory movements of such a kind as constitute 

 heat of temperature. 



The peculiar molecular constitution of bodies which determines 

 their permeability or impermeability to rays of any species, gives rise 

 to all the diversities of effect, whether luminous or calorific. We 

 thus escape all such crude ideas, at once difficult and unphilosopbical, 

 as those either of two distinct material emanations producing respect- 

 ively heat and light, or of a conversion of one into the other ; and 

 obtain a view far more simple and consistent with all analogy. 



LXXV. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



DR. KEMP'S PATENT FOR A NEW METHOD OF OBTAINING MOTIVE 

 POWER BY MEANS OF ELECTRO-MAGNETISM. 



MY invention of a new method of obtaining power by means of 

 electro-magnetism consists of the mode hereinafter described 

 of combining apparatus to be actuated by electro-magnets. And in 

 order that my invention may be most fully understood and readily 

 carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by 

 me. I so arrange electro-magneto apparatus that a series of electro- 

 magnets are caused to act in succession by their armatures on the 

 same bar or instrument, and by such bar or instrument I give motion 

 to fluids in order to obtain and communicate power thereby. To 

 accomplish this object the armatures of several electro-magnets are 

 fixed to stems, and the stems of the armatures are to be free to 

 move through the bar or instrument which carries them. For the 

 purpose of enabling the armatures to be acted on in succession by 

 their magnets, I make the stem of the armature which is to be first 

 attracted somewhat longer than the next in succession, by which 

 means the first armature will be as near as may be to its magnet ; 

 and the next armatures being more and more distant from their 

 electro-magnets, therefore when the first armature has been attracted 

 by its electro-magnet, the others will be moved nearer to their 

 electro-magnets, and will consequently be brought into the most 

 advantageous position to be attracted thereby when their turns come. 

 Thus, supposing it to be determined that each armature shall be 

 attracted through a quarter of an inch by its electro-magnet, and that 

 there are to be eight electro-magnets to act on the same bar or 

 magnet, the first armature before being attracted would be at a di- 

 stance of a quarter of an inch from its electro-magnet ; the second 

 would be half an inch from its magnet ; the third three quarters of 

 an inch from its magnet, and so on ; whereby the eighth armature 

 would be two inches from its electro-magnet, and these differences 

 of distance are to be obtained by the stems (by which the armatures 

 are connected to the bar or instrument) being made shorter and 

 shorter. By this arrangement it will be evident that if electric 

 currents be caused to pass in succession to the coils of the several 



