and the Molecular Energy of Matter. 91 



turbance propagated from one body is converted into an 

 attractive force upon the other. And yet the present theories 

 of electricity and magnetism are in the same state. It is 

 simply known that they are the result of molecular waves, 

 but the nature of the transformation is as yet a mystery. 

 Clerk-Maxwell has given in six papers in the Philosophical 

 Magazine for 1861-1862 a provisional theory for magnetism ; 

 but there has been no great advance made in this direction. 

 That the full connection will ere long be discov,ered, is almost 

 certain ; and in the meantime it will not be without its pur- 

 pose to point out that in the course of time it will, in all 

 probability, be necessary to extend the same investigation to 

 gravitation. 



Art. XIII. — Experiments on the Comparative Poiuer of 

 some Disinfectants. 



By James Jamieson, M.D. 



[Read on the 11th October, 1877.] 



The object of the present communication is to record the 

 results of a series of experiments on the comparative power 

 of certain disinfectants when applied in the form of vapour. 

 While this department of the subject has undoubtedly great 

 practical importance in many ways, it has been compara- 

 tively little cultivated, due no doubt, in some measure at 

 least, to the difficulty which attends any attempt to cany 

 out such investigations in an exact way. It so happens, 

 therefore, that our knowledge on the subject of aerial disin- 

 fection is made up mainly of vague impressions, which may 

 perhaps be tolerably correct,, but which are greatly in need 

 of a basis of well-established facts and scientific investiga- 

 tions. 



It would be out of place for me to enter at any length on 

 the general question of the nature of those remarkable pro- 

 cesses included under the terms putrefaction and fermenta- 

 tion; but it is necessary to state the opinion I hold on the 

 subject, which is that now generally accepted by men of 

 science. It may be said, then, that putrefaction, fermenta- 



