﻿On the Fundamental Principles of Molecular Physics. 431 



plate covered with peroxide of lead was opposed to the hydroge- 

 nium ; the combination decomposed water with facility. Grove 

 found that two pairs of his gas-battery could effect a slow decom- 

 position of water, and a single pair did as well if the oxygen was 

 replaced by peroxide of lead. (The intensity of the palladium 

 and peroxide-of-lead combination must render it particularly well 

 adapted to form secondary piles of great intensity, by substitu- 

 ting it instead of a lead plate in the arrangement devised by M. 

 G. Plante.) The transformation of gaseous hydrogen into the 

 occluded state would seem to have little effect in reducing its 

 total chemical energy, so that the occluded hydrogen must re- 

 tain a relatively large proportion of the total gaseous energy 

 in a potential form. If we compare the occlusion of gases to 

 work done on the gas, the elaborate researches of Joule and 

 Thomson on the " Thermal Effects of Fluids in Motion " 

 would lead us to believe that hydrogen, of all gases, would in 

 this new condition retain the greatest amount of its original 

 store of energy. But before a just comparison can be made 

 with the results of Joule and Thomson, careful determinations 

 must be made of the electromotive force, latent heat, &c. of 

 hydrogenium. Professor Tait has determined by a new process 

 the electromotive force of platinum and palladium covered with 

 oxygen and hydrogen; and the result will be communicated 

 to the Society in a short time. 



LX. Fundamental Principles of Molecular Phijsics. 

 By Professor J. Bayma, S. J., of Stonyhurst College. 



[Concluded from p. 358.] 



PROFESSOR NORTON convinced as he was that he had 

 fully answered all my objections and that his fundamental 

 principles required no further vindication, felt himself free at 

 last to ponder over my shortcomings, and proceeded directly 

 to criticise five items of my molecular doctrine, viz. the curve of 

 molecular action, the production of heat and light, the transmis- 

 sion of rays, the constitution of molecules, and the transmission 

 of force. 



Curve of molecular action. — The learned Professor begins 

 thus: 



" The attempt to deduce the existing constitution of things and 

 prominent phenomena by Professor Bayma from his fundamental 

 ideas, so far as made, has certainly failed at several important points. 

 To specify one or two of these. He obtains a curve of molecular 

 action that represents a repulsion at the smallest distances succeeded 

 by an attraction at greater distances. This can only be made to 



