Anniversary Address. XXXÌ. 
into mechanical force, with a marginal loss of not more than 20 per 
cent.; frictional resistance and the deterioration of the materials com- 
posing the instrument, caused by continuous working, being reduced 
to a minimum. The principles involved in the construction of these 
machines have been known to scientific men for some years; but their 
practical introduction is due to M. Gramme, whose efforts have been 
the immediate cause of the marvellous advance that has been made in 
the last few years in the utilizing of electricity. We have already 
in this city examples of one form of electric action—I refer, of 
course, to the transformation of electric into heat energy, so as to 
produce incandescent electric light. The principal arguments in 
favour of electric light are that it is colourless, and thus enables 
us not only to see pictures and flowers by it as perfectly as we can by 
sunlight, but also to carry on photography and many other industries 
as well at night as during the day. It is free from those products of 
combustion which not only heat the lighted apartments, but substitute 
carbonic acid and deleterious sulphur compounds for the oxygen upon 
which respiration depends; and supports growing plants instead of 
poisoning them. Interesting experiments have for some time been 
made as to the influence of the electric light on wheat, oats, and 
barley, and it has now been conclusively proved that, so far from its 
having any harmful effect, cereals placed under the influence of an 
electric lamp grow much more rapidly than those which are exposed only 
to the light of the sun; whereas any one who has tried to keep plants 
in a room constantly lighted with gas knows only too well how prone 
they are to wither and die. : A 
As we have lately heard, this light has already been introduced ' 
into English mines, and there can be no doubt but that it will ere long 
supersede gas in all public places and large halls; but it does not seem 
probable that it will for some time compete with it successfully as a 
means of lighting smaller buildings. The great convenience of gas 
for heating as well as lighting is a strong argument in its favour, 
whilst for the degrees of temperature ordinarily required electricity 
is hardly available. For intense heat, -however —I mean above. 
1,800? C.—it possesses advantages that far surpass any offered by 
combustion. It is hardly too much to hope that ere long there 
will be in this colony iron furnaces worked by the current generated 
by neighbouring rivers or tidal waves. Owing to the comparative 
smallness of our towns, the great advantage of this as a means of 
avoiding smoke-fogs may not seem at present a question of practical 
importance, but when we consider the probable increase of factories, 
and the rapid growth of our cities, and that from the imperfect 
combustion of coal there is a constant exhalation of carbonic oxide, . 
