342 EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



the surrounding media were the cause of the phenomenon, I 

 proceeded to try the effect of the wire carrying a voltaic current 

 on different liquids ; all things being disposed as in the pre- 

 vious experiments, and three ounces of water being associated 

 respectively with the same quantity of the following liquids. 

 The thermometer rose in five minutes 



o o o o 



In water, from 60 to 70*3. In spirit of turpentine 60 to 88. 



In water, from 60 to 70-3. In sulphuret of carbon 60 to 87*1. 



In water, from 60 to 69. In olive oil . . . . 60 to 85. 



In water, from 60 to 70' I. In naphtha . . . . 60 to 78*8. 



In water, from 60 to 70-5. In alcohol sp. gr. 0*84, 60 to 77. 



In water, from 60 to 68*5. In ether 60 to 76-1. 



I do not much rely on the last experiment the battery 

 was in more feeble action ; and though each of the above re- 

 sults is the mean of three experiments, yet the variations in 

 the results of the different experiments with ether being con- 

 siderable (while in the others they were very trifling), lead me 

 to place no great dependence on it. The rapidity of evapo- 

 ration and the readiness of ebullition of the ether require that 

 a larger quantity should be used ; but as this for the purpose 

 of comparison would have required all the experiments to be 

 repeated with different quantities of liquid, I have not thought 

 it worth while to go through the series a second time. It will 

 be observed that the effects with the above liquids are by no 

 means in direct relation with their respective specific heats ; 

 but in order to bring the results of the experiments with 

 liquids into comparison with those with gases, I now associ- 

 ated a gas with a liquid, viz. hydrogen with water. All things 

 being disposed as before, the tube A was filled with hydrogen 

 gas, the tube B with water, both being immersed in three 

 ounces of water. The thermometer rose in five minutes 



In hydrogen. In water. 



From 60 to 75-5. From 60 to 72. 



This experiment of itself conclusively negatives the pos- 

 sibility of specific heat alone accounting for the phenomenon 

 under consideration ; and though, doubtless, specific heat 

 must have some influence on the cooling effects of different 



