84 report — 1859. 



of which had been often sought for by chemists. Not only was it now evident that 

 this water could be deprived of all traces of colour, but it was rendered bright, clear, 

 and perfectly free from taste by one simple operation. Above all, the means by 

 which the change was effected were exceedingly simple. The coloured bog water 

 was merely poured into a glass vessel containing a layer of about five inches of a 

 mixture of equal parts of coarse sand, and a hard ferruginous substance, perfectly 

 magnetic, when it issued forth with considerable rapidity, quite colourless and taste- 

 less, and sparkling with carbonic acid. 



It was here stated by Mr. Spencer that the action of the oxide was far from being 

 confined to the decoloration of bog water alone ; it equally operated on every impurity 

 to which water was subject ; even that of the London sewers it rendered harmless, 

 and void of odour and taste. Besides which, it had resulted from experiments of 

 Professors Brande and Clark, made recently for the Corporation of Liverpool, as well 

 as Mr. Spencer's own, that soft water on being treated by the magnetic oxide had no 

 action on lead. 



Perhaps the most extraordinary circumstance was, that the magnetic filtering medium 

 itself suffered no deterioration after any period of operation. Of course, if its surface 

 was fouled with slimy impurity, it required washing. Its province was confined to 

 force the oxygen, always present in the water, into combination with the impure 

 organic matter, and thus convert it into carbonic acid, which gas, he need hardly say, 

 conferred freshness and salubrity on all waters in which it was found. In these results 

 the occult action of catalysis was, for the first time in the history of science, brought 

 at will into artificial every-day operation. In explanation of the action, the author 

 entered on the received notions of what was really understood by the term "catalysis." 

 He thought it might be satisfactorily shown that the substances inducing this action 

 did so in virtue of a power to alter the molecular arrangement of the bodies they came 

 into contact with — as a magnet alters the arrangement of iron filings, even at a di- 

 stance. Moreover, he believed he was in a position to show that the phenomenon 

 itself was strictly identical with electro-polarization. 



In the experiments exhibited, there could, he believed, exist no doubt, that in 

 effecting the decoloration of the water the magnetic oxide attracted the oxygen found 

 therein to its surface, and when there it necessarily became polarized. Whilst in 

 that state, and only whilst in that state, it combined with the organic colouring impurity 

 to form a new substance. But the most startling circumstance he had to relate was, 

 that his further experiments went strongly to show that oxygen, when in this state of 

 polarity, was neither more nor less than ozone — that fugitive body, of hitherto doubtful 

 origin, which had become so much identified of late with atmospheric salubrity. This 

 novel proposition Mr. Spencer illustrated by an experiment, which exhibited to the 

 Section a larger amount of atmospheric oxygen converted into ozone — by the action 

 of the magnetic oxide on the alcoholic solution of gum-guaiacum — than perhaps had 

 ever been witnessed in the same compass before. The red solution was instantane- 

 ously changed, as if by magic, into a deep indigo colour. Though the President 

 evidently had not leaned to the author's theory, this unlooked-for proof of it elicited 

 his admiration. The author stated that this was only one of several modes he 

 possessed of demonstrating the same view of the question, viz. that ozone was 

 atmospheric oxygen polarized by simple contact with the magnetic oxide, or with any 

 other body possessing similar magnetic power. A stiil stronger proof was, that the 

 poles of a galvanic battery immersed in the guaiacum solution of alcohol also produced 

 in it the blue colour of ozone, but only at the oxygen pole. But what he ventured 

 to believe amounted almost to confirmation of this view was, that a similar effect was 

 not produced in the solution if made with absolute alcohol ; water was therefore 

 essential, plainly that its oxygen might undergo polarity, or, in fact, ozonification. 



Mr. Spencer further stated that, according to his experiments, he had found that 

 most if not all mineral substances in nature containing protoxide of iron exercised 

 this power of ozonifying oxygen beyond others. No matter whether this important 

 oxide was locked up in chemical combination with other bodies, still its peculiar 

 power was more or less exercised through the solid covering. He thought therefore 

 that the existence of ozone in the atmosphere need be no longer a problem, his 

 experiments having proved that air while passing over substances of this character 

 became ozonified — by contact alone. Henceforth it would be easy to account for 



