EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
41 
of which before we had no idea. Some of the chemical 
elements supposed to be most rare are found to be widely 
distributed, while their number is being augmented by it. 
The statement so often made, that iodine and bromine exist 
in the atmosphere, and are consequently present in rain¬ 
water, is rendered more than doubtful from the fact that 
Dr. Gladstone has failed to detect the lines indicative of 
them in 950,000,000 parts of air. But what almost staggers 
belief is the position that, “ its influence outstrips the 
bounds of our planet, enabling us to determine with all the 
accuracy and certainty of exact experiment, the presence of 
certain substances well known on this earth—for instance, 
iron, sodium, and potassium—in the sun/ J Thus the com¬ 
position of that luminary has been ascertained, and also 
of the fixed stars. The presence of other metals, as mag¬ 
nesium, chromium, and cobalt, have been likewise shown to 
pervade the planetary system, and these accumulating, fall 
on the earth in the form of aerolites. By its aid even 
gaseous bodies have been made manifest, and the light 
of the late comet was analysed by Mr. W. Crookes, who 
found it to be comparable to weak solar light. We have 
before noticed his discovery of a new metalloid, probably 
belonging to the sulphur group. This he has again 
examined, and being confirmed in the view he at first took, he 
proposes to give it the provisional name of Thallium, from 
thallus, a budding twig—a word which is frequently em¬ 
ployed to express the green tint of vegetation—and chosen 
by him on account of the peculiar green tint it communi¬ 
cates to the spectrum. He has likewise indirectly shown 
that when water is thrown in inconsiderable quantities on 
certain incandescent bodies it becomes decomposed, and 
being resolved into carbonic oxide and hydrogen, the com¬ 
bustion going on is thus accelerated. This is a question of 
some practical worth, since it follows, that if the volume of 
water thrown on a burning body—as in large fires—be not 
considerable, instead of extinguishing it tends to increase 
the flame. 
As yet, perhaps, these discoveries are only in their 
infancy. This mode of analysis has certainly been seized 
