250 Dr. Hare, on a recent ^^ Speculation^'' by Faraday. 



According to his researches, a grain of water by electrolytic 

 reaction with four grains of zinc, evolves as much electricity as 

 would charge fifteen millions of square feet of coated glass. But 

 in addition to the proofs of the existence of electrical powers in 

 metals thus furnished, it is demonstrated that this power must be 

 inseparably associated with metals, by the well known fact, that 

 in the magneto-electric machine, an apparatus which we owe to 

 his genius and the mechanical ingenuity of Pixii and Saxton, a 

 coil of wire being subjected to the inductive influence of a mag- 

 net, is capable of furnishing, within the circuit which it forms, 

 all the phenomena of an electrical current, whether of ignition, 

 shock, or electrolysis. 



The existence in metals of an enormous calorific power must 

 be evident from the heat evolved by mere hammering. It is 

 well known, that by a skillful application of the hammer, a piece 

 of iron may be ignited. To what other cause than their inhe- 

 rent calorific power can the ignition of metals by a discharge of 

 statical electricity be ascribed ? 



It follows that the existence of an immense calorific and elec- 

 trical power is undeniable. The materiality of these powers, 

 or of their cause, is all that has been questionable. But, according 

 to the speculations of Faraday, all the powers of matter are ma- 

 terial ; not only the calorific and electrical powers are thus to be 

 considered, but likewise the powers of cohesion, chemical affin- 

 ity, inertia and gravitation, while of all these material powers 

 only the latter can he ponderable ! ! ! 



Thus a disinclination on the part of this distinguished investi- 

 gator to admit the existence of one or two imponderable principles, 

 has led him into speculations involving the existence of a much 

 greater number. But if the calorific and electrical powers of 

 matter be material, and if such enormous quantities exist in po- 

 tassium, as well as in zinc and all other metals, so much of the 

 reasoning in question as is founded on the vacuity of the space 

 between the metallic atoms, is really groundless. 



Although the space occupied by the hydrated oxide of potas- 

 sium comprises two thousand eight hundred ponderable atoms, 

 while that occupied by an equal mass of the metal, comprises 

 only four hundred and thirty, there may be in the latter propor- 

 tionably as much more of the material powers of heat and elec- 

 tricity, as there is less of matter endowed with ponderability. 



