Miscellanies. * 371 



admit the explanation of the philosopher of Geneva, but is inclined 

 to attribute the anomalies in the transmitting power of platinum, to 

 the variation in its electro-motive force, resulting from the voltaic cur- 

 rent, and not from the liquid conductor. 



To settle this question our author has made some experiments up- 

 on platinum and some other metals with an electro-magnetic current 

 of constant force. As he had the means of using a powerful mag- 

 net capable of supporting 40 lbs, troy, his experiments were more 

 easily performed and more decisive. 



Into a vessel containing the liquid conductor he introduced a me- 

 tallic plate and a piece of wire of the same metal, each communica- 

 ting with one of the extremities of the electro-magnetic spiral ; and 

 as there were in this case two contrary currents of equal intensity 

 successively developed, the influence could not be attributed, as 

 might be. done in the experiments of Marianini to any alteration in- 

 duced by the passage of the current in the electro-motive force of 

 the metal. 



He thus experimented on platinum, iron, copper and zinc, using 

 as liquid conductors sulphuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids, sul- 

 phates of zinc, iron, soda, nitrates of zinc, copper, ammonia, soda, 

 &tc. He found that, in general, the current passed with more facil- 

 ity from the wire to the plate, than in the contrary direction. Pla- 

 tinum alone inserted in an acid or alkaline solution, presented a con- 

 trary phenomenon. These diversities of effect cannot be explained 

 until our ideas on the propagation and distribution of the electric 

 fluid in bodies, shall have become more extended and correct than 

 they are at present. We can only add, that probably these phe- 

 nomena are connected with the chemical action which the liquids 

 exercise upon the portions of the metallic arc, in contact with them 

 and with that caused by the currents themselves. 



17. Neiv Compounds of Nitrogen, by M. Liebig. (Ann. de 

 Chim., T. 56, p. 5.)— When a solution of Sulphocyanid of Potas- 

 sium, is boiled in nitric acid, or when a current of chlorine is passed 

 t:hrough a solution of this salt, an orange yellow substance is depos-, 

 ited, .which is a sulphuret of cyanogen. Heated to redness, this sul- 

 phuret is decomposed, four atoms, (8C + 8N + 8S) producing four 

 atoms of sulphur, (4S) two atoms of sulphuret of carbon, (2C-}-4S) 

 and six atoms of a new body, which I name mellon, composed of, 



Carbon, . . 0.3936 . 6 atoms. 



Nitrogen, . . 0.6064 . 8 atoms. 



