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XXVII. On Endless Availability ; and on a Restriction to the 

 Application of Carnotfs Principle. By Charles Y. 

 Burton, D.Sc* 



IN the following pages some experiments are described 

 which appear to be in obvious disagreement with the 

 Second Law of Thermodynamics. The first apparatus used 

 is shown in fig. 1. A piece of glass tube, A, is closed below 

 by a dialysing membrane, B, tied 

 over it in the usual manner. It 

 contains a solution to be dialysed, 

 and is supported within a beaker, C, 

 by wedges of cork, D, E. The 

 beaker, 0, stands on a glass plate, 

 F, the whole being covered by a 

 bell-jar, G H, which is luted with 

 wax round the edge, KL, so that 

 evaporation from the solution in 

 the dialyser is prevented as far as 

 possible. The beaker, C, is at first 

 empty; and when a certain portion 

 of the solution in A has passed into 

 it through the membrane B, the process is stopped by taking 

 the apparatus to pieces and mixing the solutions. A thermo- 

 meter measures the rise or fall of temperature which ensues. 



Experiment I. — A saturated solution of normal sodium 

 sulphate (Na 2 S0 4 , 10H 2 O) was placed in the dialyser, together 

 with a crystal of the salt. Contrary to anticipation, it was 

 found after some days that the crystal had entirely disappeared 

 and about | of the solution had passed through the dialyser. 

 When the experiment had lasted 14 days, about f of the 

 solution had passed through. The solutions in A and C were 

 then mixed, and the temperature rose 1°*2 (Centigrade) . By 

 next day some crystals had been deposited from the mixed 

 solutions ; and had this crystallization taken place under 

 adiabatic conditions, there must have been a further elevation 

 of temperature. The following are the details of the experi- 

 ment : — 



1888. Oct. 26 ; 5.10 p.m. Solution of sodium sulphate 

 saturated at 15°, together with a crystal of the salt, placed in 

 dialyser and completely protected from evaporation, 



Nov. 9 ; 4.5 p.m. About -| of the solution has passed 

 through ; no crystal remains. 



* Communicated by the Author. 



