Miscellanies. 397 



IV, Similar experiments were made by attaching the poles of a 

 strong artificial magnet to the two branches of a syphon by means of 

 wax. The magnet produced no effect, neither had a compound 

 horse-shoe magnet any influence on the formation of crystals on a flat 

 bottomed porcelain cup standing upon its poles. 



V. Mr. E. had no better success in repeating the experiments, 

 which indicated an influence of the poles over vegetable colors. He 

 was convinced that those persons were by some means mistaken who 

 thought they had witnessed a certain effect, and that too with instru- 

 ments more feeble than his own. — Bib. Univ. Oct. 1829. 



40. Animal Putrefaction. — It is remarked by Chas. Mattetjcci, 

 that the decomposition of animal matter during the putrefactive fer- 

 mentation, depends chiefly on the agency and affinities of atmospheric 

 oxygen. This element, by uniting with those contained in animal 

 substances, gives rise to the production of carbonic acid, water, car- 

 bonate of ammonia and acetic acid, which are the principal results of 

 animal fermentation. Hence he conceived that if this affinity were 

 counteracted by rendering animal substance electro-negative, or in oth- 

 er words, if they were put into the same electric state as oxygen, pu- 

 trefactive decomposition would be retarded. With this view he placed 

 some pieces of muscle on plates of zinc ; others on plates of copper, 

 and others were left to themselves. It was soon perceived that the 

 metals, and especially the zinc, retarded putrefaction, and also that the 

 products of the decomposition were different, and always in relation to 

 the electric state or affinity, determined by the contact. Thus the 

 muscle in contact with the zinc, afforded carburetted hydrogen and 

 ammoniacal products ; and that in contact with copper, much acid 

 and acetate of copper. The former, therefore, having become elec- 

 tro-negative, could not unite with oxygen, but yielded at length to 

 the weak affinity of hydrogen and azote, whilst on the contrary the 

 muscular fibre on the copper resolved itself chiefly into acid products. 

 Effects still more decided have been obtained by connecting muscu- 

 lar fibre as a conductor to one of the poles of a pile. It is perhaps in 

 this way that antiseptics operate. These bodies, it is true, do not all 

 act alike. Some depend on their attraction for water, others form 

 real imputrescible combinations ; but others, in the opinion of the au- 

 thor, are effective by determining a particular electrical state. It is 

 well ascertained, for example, that if vegetable charcoal be put upon 



