Meissner’s Researches on Oxygen, Ozone, and Antozone. 325 
Art. XX VIII.— Abstract of Prof. Meissner’s Researches on Oxy- 
gen, Ozone, and Antozone ;* by 8. W. JOHNSON. 
Dr. MEISSNER has submitted the ozone and antozone question 
toan extended and masterly investigation; at least such is our 
impression from a careful perusal of his treatise, an octavo vol- 
ume of 370 pages, the preface of which bears the date of Feb., 
1863. This book is appropriately dedicated to SCHONBEIN, 
whose name will stand in imperishable connection with the re- 
markable discovery of the triple nature of oxygen—a discover 
which must, ere long, give us a new insight into the relations of 
matter to force, and modify, in a radical manner, some of the 
doctrines now current in science. 
In the preface it is distinctly announced of ozone and anto- 
Zone that one of them can not be formed without the other 
simultaneously appearing. This is a discovery of the utmost 
importance, and we shall endeavor to present briefly the author's 
arguments in proof of its reality. 
In the Introduction is presented a concise but comprehensive 
sketch of the history of the ozone question up to date of pub- 
lication. Section I. bears the heading: THE RELATIONS OF 
ELECTRICITY TO OXYGEN, and is divided into two chapters, of 
Which the Ist, of 200 pages, relates to Hlectrized Oxygen, and 
the 2d to Ozone and Antozone. These headings are made a 
propriate by the history and progress of the investigation rather 
lan by its results. e second section, of 72 pages, is enti- 
ed: THE POLARIZATION OF OXYGEN IN THE ACT OF COMBUS- 
that the object of the first part of his investigation is to ascer- 
fain whether, as all previous experiments would appear to show, 
the effect of electricity on oxygen is simply to convert it, or a 
part of it, into ozone, or whether, as Schonbein in 1861 had 
assumed from theoretical grounds, the ordinary inactive oxygen 
8 polarized into the two opposite oxygens, the negative-active 
9One and the positive-active antozone. 
To electrize oxygen the apparatus of von Babo (Verhandl. der 
Naturforsch, Gesellschaft zu Hreiburg ii, p. 831), imitated from an 
t of W. Siemens (Pogg. Ann., 1857, B. xii, p. 66, 
120) was employed, in which ozonization takes place in a thin 
Stratum of air, and is determined by the silent discharge from 
Poor conductors, This apparatus is made as ollows: twelve 
i fine copper wires, such as are used in covering violin strings, 
ld about five decimetres long, are inserted each into a very 
_, Untersuchungen ii .G. Mrisswen, Professor in Géttin- 
~ Wit cene Ladee tates rae eure! 1863. , 
