1887.] 



The " New Force " of M. J. Thore. 



345 



Bromine. 



When the experiment with the pressure gauge is made with 

 bromine instead of iodine, it is found that there is a considerable 

 increase of pressure produced by the passage of the spark, but that 

 this disappears almost as soon as the sparking, and on determining 

 the vapour- density of the sparked and unsparked bromine it is found 

 that they are identical. It seems most probable that the difference 

 between bromine and iodine is not that the bromine is not dissociated 

 by the spark, but that the atoms combine very much more quickly 

 than the iodine atoms. The vapour-density determinations showed 

 that bromine vapour is dissociated if it is heated for a long time at a 

 low pressure, even though the temperature is not very high. 



The results of these determinations are given* in the following 

 table : — 



Pressure. 



Temperature. 



Density. 



Remarks. 



473 



Ill 



80 





466 



106 



81 





430 



101 



80 





602 



116 



79 





543 



89 



81-7 



In bath for 24 hours. 



315 "5 



105 



73 





235 



109 



77 



Sparked. 



230 



100 



66-5 



In bath for 4 hours. 



165 



90 



77 



Only a short time in bath. 



390 



111 



70 



In bath for 7 hours. 



These experiments show that it takes a long time for bromine to 

 reach a state of equilibrium, and that for the experiments on the 

 vapour-density, the gas should be maintained at a constant tempera- 

 ture for some time before the experiments are made. 



Experiments on chlorine and nitrogen tetroxide are also described 

 in the paper. 



II. " On the Supposed 1 New Force ' of M. J. Thore."* By 

 William Crookes, F.R.S., Pres.C.S. Received May 5, 

 1887. 



(Abstract.) 



The author commences by quoting the description of some apparatus 

 and experiments which have led M. Thore to suspect the existence of 

 a new force inherent in the human organism. M. Thore suspends a 



* 'UneNouvelle Force?' Par J. Thore. Dax, 1887. 



