30 Proceedings. 



[Physical and Mathematical Section."] 



Ordinary Meeting, November I2th, 1890. 



William Thomson, F.R.S. Ed., F.C.S., F.I.C., Vice- 

 President of the Section, in the Chair. 



Mr. William Thomson, F.R.S. Ed., made a commu- 

 nication on the influence of tobacco-smoke in reproducing, 

 after some hours, the smell and taste of chloride of sulphur. 

 Mr. Thomson stated that some time ago he visited an 

 india-rubber factory, in which vulcanizing by the cold process 

 was carried on by the use of a mixture of chloride of sulphur 

 and bisulphide of carbon. This mixture has a pungent and 

 disagreeable smell. An hour and a half after leaving the 

 works, on smoking a cigar, he again noticed the smell and 

 pungency of the chloride of sulphur at each inhalation of 

 smoke. He then learned from the owner of the works that 

 when he himself visited, for any length of time, the cold 

 vulcanizing room he could not smoke on that day, because 

 of the disagreeable odour of the chloride of sulphur, which 

 was produced by the smoke. Mr. THOMSON had that day 

 visited the works early, and, two hours afterwards, after 

 luncheon, while smoking a cigar which he had not in his 

 possession at the works, found that the same pungent effect 

 was produced, although he breathed apparently very little 

 of the substance, which had not caused him to experience 

 in the interval any unpleasant effect. 



Mr. Thomson also communicated to the Section the 

 results of some experiments he had recently made on the 

 action of different substances on india-rubber. He employed 

 fine layers of india-rubber attached to paper, and kept at a 

 temperature of 130° (Fahr.). Very minute quantities of 

 copper salts applied, in solution or mixed with water, and 



