Dr. ingenhousz on Air . 
264 
magnetical virtue. Having filled a fmall glafs tube with 
that pla tin ci) I found each end of it attracted both poles of a 
compafs indifcriminately ; but being put to a fet of mag- 
netical bars, it became a real magnet, having two diftindl 
poles, which I could change at pleafure. I filled another 
fmall tube with platina, the hollow of the tube being only 
of fuch a lize, as to allow the particles of platina to go in 
freely. I ftuck a pin in each end, and fixed the pins with 
fealing wax. I directed five or fix electrical explofions from 
three very large jars through the tube; after which, I 
found th z platina had acquired no polarity. By looking 
with a microfcope at the outfide of the tube, I found the 
platina was much changed, fo as to appear one uninter- 
rupted cylinder of metal, all the interftices between each 
particle being quite, in appearance at leaft, obliterated 
and filled with bright metal. The places which were 
not bright, were become of a black hue, and appeared to 
be parts of the platina not melted ; which I found after- 
wards to be the cafe. I attempted to fhake the particles out 
of the tube, but 1 could not fucceed. I could only force 
out fome few at the opening with a pin. I feparated a 
little bit of the tube with a file, to pulh out the cylinder 
of platina ; but could not fucceed without employing a 
great force: therefore I beat fome part of the tube to 
pieces with a hammer, and found each particle had, un- 
dergone a remarkable alteration. All of them appeared 
in leveral places to have been melted, and fome little 
ones leemed to have been intirely in a fluid fiate; they 
all adhered in lumps together fo firongly, that many of 
them 
