Mr Barlow’s Electro-Magnetic Experiments. SSI 
artificial and natural magnets are due to currents of the galvanic 
fluids circulating in planes perpendicular to their axis ; and, that 
those currents, when parallel to each other, and passing in the 
same direction, are attracted, and when in opposite directions, re- 
pelled. 
“ Whether this hypothesis and that which I have advanced 
be under different forms only one and the same, and if not, 
which may be considered as the most conclusive and satisfactory, 
are not for me to determine : they are now both in the hands of 
philosophers, who will judge of them impartially, and adopt that 
which seems to answer best to the various facts and phenomena 
that have been, and that may still be, elicited by the ingenious 
experimenters at present engaged in this interesting inquiry : I 
must say that I cannot, on M. Ampere ? s doctrine, satisfactorily 
explain several of the phenomena exhibited in the preceding ex- 
periments ; and the following is another case which seems to be 
at variance with the theory in question ; viz. — 
“ Let only one of the bent wires, shewn in the figure last re- 
ferred to, be employed, and let it be made a part of the galvanic 
circuit. If now a long magnet be placed horizontally, with one 
pole a little below the horizontal part of the wire, and perpen- 
dicular to the same, the wire will be strongly attracted, or re- 
pelled, according to the pole that is presented. Let us suppose 
that the wire is attracted ; this may be explained by the assumed 
attraction of the current in the wire, and the parallel currents 
in the same direction in the magnet, agreeably to M. Ampere’s 
theory ; and if it be repelled, the explanation will still subsist 
by supposing the parallel currents in opposite directions ; but if, 
now, instead of keeping the magnet perpendicular to the direc- 
tion of the wire, we place it parallel to it, keeping the same ex- 
tremity still under the wire, the very same effect is produced ; 
although, in this case, the supposed magnetic currents, if before 
parallel to that in the wire, are now necessarily perpendicular to 
it : and if, again, the magnet be held vertically, keeping the ex- 
tremity presented to the wire in its situation, or as nearly so as 
possible, the same attraction still takes place ; and this, whether 
the extremity in question be above or below ; in short, while the 
pole of the magnet presented to the wire is kept in its position, 
whatever direction be given to the magnet itself, whether in azt- 
