# 
Proceedings of the British Association. 45 
- some substance produced or evolved by it; because if the point 
‘be moistened, the electricity still continues to be given off asa 
‘brush, but the power of polarizing the gold or platinum plates is 
lost. A. e thus charged, is perfectly similar in its electrical 
powers charged or polarized by immersion in oxygen 
impregnated with ozone. Heat or exposure to hydrogen, which 
destroys or inverts the electricity of such a plate, exerts a pre- 
cisely similar action on plates polarized by exposure to the brush; 
and likewise, if the plates are not perfectly clean and dry, it is 
equally impossible to charge them, either by exposure to the 
brush, or by immersion in oxygen containing ozone. He sup- 
poses that there exists, both in the air and water, a very minute 
quantity of an electrolyte or compound substance, which when 
decomposed by electricity, evolves, as one of its constituents, the 
peculiar odorous matter called ozone. He observes, that both 
from its electromotive power, and likewise from its strong 
affinity for metals, it is evidently similar to chlorine, bromine, and 
iodine. Its non-appearance when water is decomposed by elec- 
trodes of the more oxidizable metals, he attributes to its entering 
immediately into combination with those metals: and he con- 
siders that when the solution is heated, the affinity of the ozone 
for metals is so much increased, that it is even able to combine 
with gold and platinum, thus accounting for its disappearance 
when heated. By this theory, all the phenomena attendant on 
its evolution may be easily explained, and it hence becomes very 
interesting to search for traces of this widely diffused substance. 
M. Schonbein considers that the smell perceived whenever bodies 
are struck by lightning, is probably due to asmall portion of 
ozone being set free ; and relates a recent case within his own 
observation, of a church struck by lightning, in which the sur- 
rounding buildings-to a considerable distance were filled with a 
bluish vapor having a peculiarly pungent odor. Even in this 
early stage of the inquiry, it will readily be seen that many cu- 
rious and unexplained phenomena might be accounted for, if the 
existence of the supposed electrolyte be proved. Mr. S. proposes 
devoting all his leisure to the prosecution of this inquiry. 
Mr. E. Solly proposed the following mode of bleaching veget- 
able wax. The wax must be melted, a small quantity of sulphu- 
“ric acid is poured in, composed of one part of oil of vitriol to two 
of water, and then a few crystals of nitrate of soda stirred in, the 
4 
* 
