Ordinary Meeting, January 7th, 1862. 
Edward Schunck, Ph.D., F.R.S., Vice-President, in 
the Chair. 
Prof. Dr. Johannes Gistel,of Kempten in Bavaria; Federico 
Lancia di Brolo, Inspector of Studies in the University of 
Palermo ; and James Nasmyth, Esq., C.E., were elected 
Corresponding Members of the Society. 
A Paper was read by J. P. Jotjle, LL.D., President, 
entitled, “ Experiments on some Amalgams.” 
The weakness of the affinity which holds the constituents 
of amalgams in combination seemed to the Author to offer 
the means of studying the relationship between chemical and 
mechanical force. His inquiries were extended to several 
amalgams, and gave results of which the following is a 
summary : — 
Amalgam of iron was formed by precipitating iron on 
mercury electrolytically. The solid amalgam containing the 
largest quantity of mercury appeared to be a binary compound. 
Iron does not appear to lose any of its magnetic virtue in 
consequence of its combination with mercury. Its amalgama- 
tion has the effect of making it negative with respect to iron 
in the electro-chemical series. The affinity between mercury 
and iron is so feeble that the amalgam is speedily decomposed 
when left undisturbed, and almost immediately when agitated. 
The application of a pressure of fifty tons to the square inch 
drives out so much mercury as to leave only thirty per cent of 
it in the resulting button. 
Proceedings — Lit. & Phil. Society— No. 8. — Session 1861-62. 
