Miscellanies. . 215 



trust. Candidates are desired to transmit their memoirs, written either 

 in French or in Latin, previous to July 1st, 1846. 



The society will probably publish the monograph of the successful 

 candidate in its Memoirs, (nine volumes of which have already ap- 

 peared,) but does not pledge itself to do so. 



13. Effect of Electricity.* — My house was struck by lightning a few 

 weeks ago, during a violent rain. The electric fluid followed a spout 

 filled with water into a cistern, out of which a stream was flowing, thus 

 affording a conductor to the earth. Yet the outer circumference of the 

 cistern was torn into splinters, the fluid having passed outward through 

 the staves. The largest splinters extended from one to another of 

 the iron hoops of the vessel, which were slightly fused at a number 

 of points. 



14. Proposed nomenclature of numbers between ten and twenty. — 

 The anomalous character of our nomenclature of the numbers between 

 ten and twenty, has often been observed and lamented. It has been 

 frequently seen to be a source of impediment to the young learner, and 

 has often defied the skill of the more advanced to explain. 



Several alterations have been suggested — such as " one ten, tioo ten" 

 for eleven and twelve — also, " ten one, ten two, ten three,' 1 '' &c. With- 

 out enlarging upon the merits or demerits of these alterations, I will 

 come directly to the one I wish to propose, which is, for eleven, twelve, 

 thirteen, &c, to use onety one, onety two, onety three, &c. Aside from 

 its novelty, there can be no more objection to abridging the expression 

 one ten into onety, than that of two tens into twenty, three tens into 

 thirty, &c. This alteration would bring the nomenclature of this de- 

 cade into perfect analogy with that of the subsequent ones, and thus 

 deliver the system from a great stumbling block of offense. D. 



New Haven, Dec. 1, 1843. 



15. Heat from solid carbonic acid. — There is a remarkable reac- 

 tion between solid carbonic acid and the caustic alkalies. If a small 

 piece of solid carbonic acid be wrapped in cotton with a little pul- 

 verized caustic potash, and the whole be pressed between the fin- 

 gers, so much heat is evolved as to make it uncomfortable to hold. 

 This is the most remarkable illustration of heat from chemical union. 

 One of the agents employed is the coldest substance in nature, with 

 which we are acquainted, that which we select to show the effects of 

 extreme refrigeration. The other is at the natural temperature. Both 



* Extract of a letter from S. S. Haldeman, Esq., dated Marietta, Pa., Sept. 15, 

 1843. 



