PROCEEDINGS 
OP 
THE LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL 
SOCIETY. 
Ordinary Meeting, October 2nd, 1860. 
Dr. Joule, President, in the Chair. 
The President brought under the notice of the meeting a 
sheet of copper, upon which, whilst under magnetic influence, 
iron had been deposited electrolytically. The experiment was 
made by Mr. F. H. Holder, of London, as follows: — The 
plate of copper, forming the bottom of a shallow vessel filled 
with a saturated solution of sulphate of iron, was placed on 
the poles of a powerful horse-shoe magnet, fixed vertically 
with its poles uppermost. An iron wire, dipping into the 
solution, was placed in connection with the positive. 'electrode 
of a Daniell’s cell, of one pint capacity, the copper plate 
being connected with the negative electrode. The deposited 
iron exhibited the lines of magnetic force in the same manner 
as in the case of iron filings scattered on a sheet of paper 
placed over a magnet. When Mr. Holder substituted a plate 
of tinned iron for the copper, he observed indications, though 
very faint ones, of the same phenomenon. On using a satu- 
rated solution of sulphate of copper, Mr. Hobler observed 
that the deposit was even throughout, and that no specific 
position of the axes of the crystals of copper could be detected, 
although they invariably formed on the outside of the two 
poles. Mr. Hobler, in discussing the phenomenon, inquires 
whether it is produced by the action of the magnet upon the 
solution in direction of the lines of force, or whether the iron 
is formed in the solution immediately above the copper plate, 
and then attracted by the magnet into the direction of the 
lines of force. The former suggestion appears to him to be 
inconsistent with our present knowledge of the influence of 
Proceedings — Lit. & Phil. Society — No. 1. — Session, 1860-61. 
