122 EEPOET — 1891. 



connection which we suppose to exist between the Second Law of Thermo- 

 dynamics and Newton's Laws of Motion. 



My thanks are due to Mr. Larmor for references to many important 

 papers on the present subject and to Mr. C. V. Burton for his most 

 invaluable assistance in revising both the manuscript and proofs and in 

 furnishing many useful suggestions. 



Sixth Report of the Committee, consisting of Professors Fitzgerald 

 (Chairman), Armstrong, and 0. J. Lodge (Secretaries), Sir 

 William Thomson, Lord Kayleigh, J. J. Thomson, Schuster, 

 PoYNTiNG, Crum Brown, Eamsay, Frankland, Tilden, Hartley, 

 S. P, Thompson, McLeod, Roberts-Austen, Eucker, Eeinold, 

 Carey Foster, and H. B. Dixon, Captain Abney, Drs. Glad- 

 stone, HoPKiNSON, and Fleming, and Messrs. Crookes, Shelford 

 BiDWELL, W. N. Shaw, J. Larmor, J. T. Bottomley, E. T. 

 GrLAZEBROOK, J. Brown, and John M. Thomson, appointed for 

 the purpose of considering the subject of Electrolysis in its 

 Physical and Chemical Bearings. 



During the past year the completed portion of Mr. Shaw's report on our 

 knowledge of electrolysis has been printed and circulated among the 

 members, and has appeared in the annual volume of the Association. So 

 also has the report of the discussion with Professors van t'Hoff and 

 Ostwald and others at Leeds, which was edited by Professor Thorpe. 



Papers received from Mr. J. Brown on the subject of the electrification 

 of the spray thrown up from a vessel in which chemical reaction with 

 efiTervescence was occurring, to which attention has been directed by Mr. 

 Enright, and on the electrolysis of solutions of the chlorides of iodine 

 and bromine, were communicated to the 'Philosophical Magazine.' 



The valuable theoretical and experimental work of Professor J. J. 

 Thomson, which has been described in the ' Philosophical Magazine ' and 

 in the 'Proceedings of the Royal Society,' on the discharge of electricity 

 through vacuum tubes, has a distinct electrolytic significance ; and some 

 researches of Mr. A. P. Chattock on the discharge of electi'icity from 

 points, which are to be described at the present meeting, are tending 

 in very much the same direction ; and showing that all convective 

 passage of electricity, whether in liquids or gases or in partial vacua, are 

 essentially electrolytic, taking place pi'obably by means of a series of 

 Grotthuss chains, and with atomic charges of the same order of magnitude 

 as those concerned in electrolysis proper. 



Other interesting work is going on, and a document entailing a great 

 amount of labour which has been drawn up by the Rev. T. C. Fitzpatrick, 

 one of the members of the Committee on Electrical Standards, is nearly 

 complete ; it will be published next year. 



The Committee suggest that they should be reappointed, and with a 

 grant of 51. to cover printing and postage. 



