The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-05-03
jUigcaila,le0u9.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE.


G our tate F,eneh papers contains the report
efthe National Institute at Paris for the year
1910 Ihe{cIlossins is an abstract Of the ntost
snterest:sss ;rc.: s--.4:.-Sr.:.
Nessrs. Guy Lus5ac, and Thenard, have a-
rccted theic attention to compare the relative
bowers and energies of different gal,a'uok piles.
They have discovered, that the force of the pile
IS not increased in proportion to the pumber OF
plates. 10 produce double effect, tive num-
BEL. ot plstes mus BE- increased eight times. In
general. 1t was found that the q1antiIy OF gas
the piles will produce, is nearly in propol ton TO
che cube root of the number OF plates employed.
--..moDgst the discoveries TO which the gal
vanlc pile has given rise, there are few more il,-
teresupg TO general chemistry than the trans
formation of the akalies into combustible sub
stances OF metallic splendor. ~
The transformation, first discovered by Mr..
Nayy, was afterwards doubted by Mcssrs. Lus-
sac and Ti,enard In their former report they
were disposed to consider potassium and sod,
nm combinations Of the aikaes with hytirp-
gen, and to class them amongst The compound
substances called bydrurets subsequent eXper-
1msnss cave led the m to incline IT, the pn0n OF
Mr. DSvy, and to regard potassium md sodium,
as pie metallic substances.
!, W. Ber holet has communicated y process
s6r making the muriate of mercury, called Euer~
GURUS dulc,s or calomel. oy passing oxySensted
Inu ,at,c gas through mercury 1t combines
piuiy with tue metal, and forms with II the. s,u
riste OF mercury and as this metallic salt, has
perfect analogy with other mercu,lat salts,
produced by other ACIDS and mercury, at the
mi imum OF oxydatlon, he concludes that the
m,lcury in forming this combnation, has been
reduced to an ox,d by the oxygene of the ACID,
and not by that OF the water.
M Guyton has directed his attention TO tn e
nude OF giving permanent red color glass, by
INT OF copper, which by accident, lie ii :, dis
covered might be dons NJ Sage has also Ia.
ken part IN these experiments, wiz, the intent
TO cplor glass Ted 10y means of copper and the
phosphate OF hme, or with bones and he has
shewn crystals OF glass, from the bottom OF the
pots used to melt glass, IN the bottle manuiac
ature at Seves, which had some resemblance &c
hexordrai prisms.-lts we'll known that simple
means have been discovered to extract soda
from common salt France formerly iinporleo
this article, so necessary to the srts /; an ircon
yeuience attended the mode ofpreparing 1t, from
thee uaHtity ofacid gas which escaped, and wa
highly injurious.
Amongst the different means of preventing
fhis Inconvenience, which have been attempted
ths, Of p Pelletan the younger, is deserving o
notice. 1t consists in making the muristic &c .c
gas pass through long horizontal tunes, p2r,,,
with calcareous earth, winch absorbs the < S
FORMING with 1t the muriate of lime. The sAper.
6rnents of M. Sage on plumbag (biack lead
.shew that this substance does not contain any i
ron but consists OF coaly matter mkt WIN ca,
kentu part Of clay. TIE fossil carbon OF y,
S,mp.."rIen, near Lyons, approaches neare
70 isis SUBSTANCE, than any other known nine
Eal.
M De,eaix las presented 10 the class of ,p
ric0l,u loaf o. sur ar, made from the red De:
tbeuyravs, (which had all the wlliteness q fayc
OF sug .r from the cane. He has announced tina
tbs ,unst~pce may be made IN great quanti,,e
by rce proprietors, Who have devoted TO this a,
temNt 400 acres OF ground. Should II succeed OF
& great scale, it will change the relations of TN
Ss,. orlds.
Vi. Des3signes, principal of the college O
Vei,sosls, has continued his experiments ON tin,
diff, rent causes which produce luminous an
pearauces @hether spontaneous, by friction, o
by gentle WARMTH, and in every other cIrcum
staice different from that of combustion TIL
philosopher obtained the prize on the same sue
Ject last year: MS present researches have con
SID, rtny enlarged the results of his former ex
pernen,s. In general, it has appeared TO M
ID ,saignes that those bodies the most phos
phorescent that contain IN their composition
principles which can pass from a state of gas o
liquid % a solid form. al. bodies give out Ugh
BY compression, whether they are suiti, solid
or gsseous. He has also discovered tsst point
have the same effect on phosphoresce,,ce as up
on the electric fluid M. Desssignes tiistin
Ruishes two kinds of phosphorescence the on
kranslent, the other permanent. Amongst TN
zirst, we may state that which takes place whe
q certain quantity of water combines with quo
lime amongst the latter, that of rotten wood
and other organized substancei in state of pu
fretactiOn. The latter more particularly occu
pied his attention. His experiments have pro,
ed, that the phosphoresence of each is a she
cies Of combustion, IN which water and carbon
&c acid is produced All The cans.t;ieH. t,.rt
OF animal muscle, and of wood, DO not contribut
90 the light WIN n is produced fhe wood
psrt. and muscular fC, do not undergo !
xhese changes any essential aiterstion.---T In
phuspboresccnce of The wood IS chiefly OWN
10 giu,Inous principle that serves to unit
Oh, woody fbres, and that of the Acsi, to
&. atinous principle which untes tue muscula
hbres.