502 Chronicles of Science. [July* 



fundamental law of chemical union thus rests upon the duality of the 

 kinds of simple bodies. 



At a subsequent meeting of the Academie, M. Martin contributed 

 the second part of his memoir, which he devotes to an explanation of 

 the phenomena of combustion, and of the pile. The simplest case of 

 combustion, according to the author, is that of a mixture of hydrogen 

 and oxygen, which produce water and heat, and which, according to 

 the above theory, is explained by the following equation : — 



HE1 + OEt = C*. 



The two imponderables combine to form caloric, which is produced with 

 sufficient intensity to become luminous before it combines with the 

 water. Carbon hold two atoms of electrile, is C,E1 2 . When it is 

 once burnt in oxygen, it forms carbonic oxide CO,El ; burnt a second 

 time with the same quantity of oxygen, it becomes C0 2 , in which the 

 two atoms of electrile are replaced by two atoms of oxygen. So with 

 sulphur and the metals. 



The action of the battery is a modified combustion in which the 

 two imponderables are kept apart, and sent along different wires. 



A most important paper on a new Thermo element is given by 

 M. S. Marcus, in the ' Transactions of the Vienna Academy.' It is 

 also printed in the ' Philosophical Magazine,' No. 197. Bismuth and 

 Antimony are not used in these elements, but in their stead are taken 

 different alloys, the proportions of which are given in the original 

 paper. A powerful thermo-pile was constructed with a view to being 

 used with a gas-flame. The individual elements consist of bars of 

 unequal dimensions. The positive electrical bar is 7" long, 7" broad, 

 and %'" thick ; the negative electrical bar is 6" long, 7" broad, and 

 6'" thick. Thirty-two such elements were screwed together, so that 

 all positive bars were upon one, and all negative on the other side, 

 and thus had the form of a grating. The battery consists of two such 

 gratings, which are screwed together in a roof shape, and are 

 strengthened by an iron bar. As an insulator between the iron bar and 

 the elements, mica was used. Besides this, the elements, where they 

 came into contact with the cooling water, were coated with soluble 

 glass. An earthen vessel filled with water was used for cooling the 

 lower contact sides of the elements. The entire battery has a length 

 of 2 feet, a breadth of 6 inches, and a height of 6 inches. 



M. Marcus communicated further that he had constructed a 

 furnace which was intended for 768 elements. They represent a 

 Bunsen's zinc carbon battery of thirty elements, and consume per diem 

 240 lbs. of coal. 



The following are the properties of the combination : — 



1. The electro-motive force of one of the new elements is ^th of 

 that of Bunsen's element, and its resistance is equal to 0*4 of a metre 

 of normal wire. 



2. Six such elements can decompose acidulated water. 



3. A battery of 125 elements disengaged in a minute 25 cubic 

 centimetres of detonating gas. The decomposition took place under 



