258 



M. Matteucci on the Origin of 



[Feb. 20, 



All these diamines are very crystalline ; they are weak bases which 

 dissolve in acids, and furnish, with perchloride of platinum, yellow crys- 

 talline precipitates. 



The faculty of combining with the ammonias, it will be remembered, is 

 altogether deficient in the ordinary sulphocyanic ethers. On the other 

 hand, it belongs to sulphocyanide of allyl, or mustard oil. In fact the 

 new compound is in the ethyl-series what mustard oil is in the allyl-series. 

 I have on this occasion again perused the beautiful memoir of Profes- 

 sor Will on mustard oil, the indications of which have served me as a 

 guide in my experiments. So far as these experiments go, the parallelism 

 of the ethyl- and allyl-body is complete. 



For the present I must be satisfied to have indicated the formation and 

 the principal properties of the new compound isomeric with sulphocyanide 

 of ethyl. 



In a subsequent paper I propose to communicate to the Royal Society 

 the results of a comparative study to which I have submitted the old and 

 the new sulphocyanide, together with the conclusions elicited by these 

 researches as to the different atomic construction of the two substances. 



In conclusion, I may be permitted to state that methylamine and amyl- 

 amine, when subjected to the same treatment, have furnished me the 

 analogous mustard terms of the methyl- and amyl-group ; the properties 

 of these substances I have not yet more minutely investigated. 



February 20, 1868. 



Dr. WILLIAM ALLEN MILLER, Treasurer and Vice-President, 



in the Chair. 



Mr. Baldwin Francis Duppa was admitted into the Society. 

 The following communications were read : — 



I. " Sur rOrigine de rElectrotone des Nerfs/' Par M. Ch. Mat- 

 teucci. Communicated by Dr. Beale, F.R.S. 



Depuis mes premiers travaux sur la fonction electrique de la torpille, 

 et sur le courant musculaire de la grenouille et des animaux a sang chaud, 

 qui datent depuis 1837, et que la Societe Royale voulut quelque temps apres 

 encourager avec sa plus haute distinction, je n'ai jamais cesse de m'ac- 

 quitter de la dette que j'avais ainsi contracte envers cet illustre corps scien- 

 tifique, en lui communiquant les recherches successives tentees sur les memes 

 sujets, et dont le but constant a ete de demontrer les analogies qui existent 

 entre des lois physiques et chimiques connues et les phenomenes electro- 

 physiologiques. Tel est aussi le but de cette communication. 



Un fait remarquable d'electro-physiologie est la propriete dont parmi les 



