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effect of acids upon alloys and the energy of nascent sub- 
stances was ascribed in part to their freedom from all taint 
of other matter. 
Catalytic bodies were shown to fulfil all these conditions, 
but it was pointed out that many forms of so-called catalysis 
were complex, not simple processes. 
The application of these facts to physiology was remarked 
— the presence in the living body of substances whose 
chemical reactions are continually modified by variations in 
their molecular condition, and by which energy was stored 
up until it is required, and by which, probably, fermentative 
changes are produced. 
Observations of the Eclipse of the Sun, March 6th, 1867. 
By Mr. Baxendell, at Mr. Worthington’s Observatory. 
53° 30' 50 0" N. 8 m 5616 s W. 
First contact 8 h 20 m 16 -5 s a.m. G.M.T. 
Last contact 10 h 50 m 2T9 S „ „ 
About a minute before the time of first contact two or 
three small clouds passed over the sun, and its limb, which 
had been tolerably steady and well defined, became exces- 
sively tremulous, and continued so till after the contact had 
taken place. The time given may therefore be uncertain to 
the extent of two or even three seconds. At the end of the 
eclipse the limb of the sun was very steady, and the time of 
last contact was observed very satisfactorily. Only one 
small black spot and two or three minute ones of a penum- 
bral character were visible on the sun’s disc ; but a fine 
group of faculse near the following limb formed a very 
interesting object for examination during the early part of 
the progress of the eclipse. 
