202 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
according to the view taken of the constitution of thioformanilid, 
and the position of the abstracted hydrogen atoms. I hope soon to 
he able to throw additional light on this point by additional experi- 
ments on thiacetanilid 
'C 6 H 5 
CH 8 CS 
H 
1ST 
which there is no doubt. 
regarding the constitution of 
3. On the Classification of Statistics. Part II. 
By Mr P. Geddes. 
BUSINESS. 
The following candidates were balloted for, and declared duly 
elected Pellows of the Society : — D. J. Hamilton, M.B., F.K.C.S.E . ; 
Dr Leonard Dobbin. 
Monday . 18 th April 1881. 
Sir WILLIAM THOMSON, Hon. Vice-President, 
in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read : — • 
1. On Galvanic Polarisation. By Professor Helmholtz. 
In 1872 I wrote a paper on galvanic currents, which continue 
for a long time in an electrolytic cell, under the influence of an 
electro-motive force, too feeble to effect electrolytic decomposition. 
I tried at that time to prove that the long duration of these currents 
was caused by oxygen dissolved in the water of the electrolyte, 
combining with the hydrogen, which is carried by the electrolytic 
motion to the cathode. So the oxygen, which existed formerly 
near the surface of the cathode, is taken away, and instead of it 
the same amount of oxygen is liberated at the anode. This can 
return by diffusion to the cathode, and so the same action can go on 
without end. It appears as a current producing no electrolytic 
action. I called it “Electrolytic convection. ” 
My experiments, published at that time, were performed with 
