161 



which he had no previous opportunity of communicating to the 



Society. 



Even the flame produced by means of a very powerful hydro- 

 oxygen blowpipe, was not found to be productive of electrical indica- 

 tion, when allowed to act upon a metallic mass supported upon the 

 canopy of an extremely delicate electroscope. As it was suggested 

 that, the flame being a conductor, the electricity evolved might retro- 

 cede by it to the metallic pipe, the experiment was modified in the 

 following way: — 



The mixture of one part of oxygen and two of hydrogen, being, as 

 in the first instance, condensed within a mercury bottle, was made, by 

 means of a valve cock and safety tube, to communicate, through a 

 glass tube, with a jet pipe of platinum, a foot in length and in bore. 



The apparatus being thus arranged, and the cock so adjusted as 

 to allow the gaseous mixture to escape through the jet pipe with suffi- 

 cient celerity, a flame of hydrogen was applied to the outside of this 

 pipe about the middle. By these means, the temperature being raised 

 so as to cause the elements of water to combine, the flame was re- 

 moved ; the heat being sufficiently kept up by the internal combus- 

 tion. Thus that which entered at one end of the tube as gas, came 

 out at the other as steam. Under these circumstances, a single-leaf 

 electrometer, more susceptible than a condensing electrometer, was 

 not indicative of any electrical excitement, either in the insulated jet 

 tube, or in any body on which the steam was allowed to condense. 



Dr. J. K. Mitchell having expressed a wish to see these experiments, 

 they were repeated, with his assistance, with the same results. 



Dr. Hare also mentioned that he had observed an ethereal 

 liquid to subside on the addition of pure pyroxylic spirit to an 

 aqueous solution of hypochlorous acid, obtained by passing 

 chlorine into water in contact with bioxide of mercury. 



Having separated the ether thus produced, he found it to have an 

 agreeable and peculiar fragrance. Like oil of wine, it could not be 

 distilled without decomposition. There was an effervescence at the 

 temperature of 140° F. ; but the boiling point rose beyond that of a 

 boiling water-bath. When a naked flame was applied, the ether, 

 previously colourless, acquired a yellowish wine colour, and, by the 

 crackling evolution of vapour, indicated decomposition. 



When the liquid hypochlorous acid was subjected to the process 

 of distillation, before the addition of the spirit, an ether resulted which 



