Miscellanies. A 355 
nel shaped, and contained a thimble shaped vessel filled with water, 
and supported in an upright position by a piece of amadou, which, 
by a simple arrangement, would, when burnt, allow the thimble to 
overturn. ‘The amadou being set on fire, the workman rowed off 
to a safe distance and waited the event. ‘The thimble being over- 
turned, the water inflamed the potassium and the latter the powder, 
and the explosion succeeded well. A second trial was equally favor- 
able. ‘The powder must be very dry, otherwise potassium will not 
inflame it; common gunpowder is generally too damp.—Bib. Univ. 
Aout, 1831. 
10. Cause of Gowtre—M. de Humboldt communicated to the 
French Academy, in October, 1831, some results obtained by Bous- 
singault, in his researches into the causes of Goitre, in Colombia. 
The latter ascertained that in every place in which Goitre is very 
common, the water holds in solution only a very small quantity of 
air. It is well known that the production of Goitre is very often at- 
tributed to snow water. ‘This agrees very well with the discovery of 
Boussingault, since water, in freezing, abandons a great part of the air 
which it held in solution, so that when melted it is almost wholly free 
from air.—Rev. Encyc. Oct. 1831. 
11. Memoir on the transference of ponderable substances by electri- 
city. (Dr. A. Fusinieri.)—This paper contains the result of numerous 
experiments and observations made for the purpose of ascertaining 
whether the electric spark carries with it any portion of the materi- 
al from which it issues. 
Dr. F. finds that when the spark issues from metallic conductors 
whatever may be the nature of the metal, one portion of it is carri- 
ed away in astate of fusion and another in incandescent molecules, 
and that when the conductor is a compound metal, as of brass, a por- 
tion of zinc is separated from the copper. The metal thus dispersed, 
is spread in extremely thin lamine, over the surface on which the 
electric current falls, where its presence may be detected by changes 
of color, and other tests. ‘The substance thus conveyed will even 
penetrate in its passage through thin plates of metal; small portions 
being left behind upon the plate while the rest passes along, with the 
spark, to the surface on which it strikes. 
These metallic spots derived from the electric spark are so thin, 
that after a certain time they are volatilized and disappear. 
