Abstract of Researches on magnetism and on certain allied subjects : including a supposed new imponderable / by Baron von Reichenbach ; translated and abridged from the German by William Gregory.

  • Reichenbach, Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von, 1788-1869.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Abstract of Researches on magnetism and on certain allied subjects : including a supposed new imponderable / by Baron von Reichenbach ; translated and abridged from the German by William Gregory. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    the potassium had overpowered in part the force of the g;uni, wliile another, perhaps more inward or intimately asso- ciated part, was not, in the given time, overcome. Pure gold leaf, by itself warm, gave to an empty glass bottle, of itself cool, by contact, the power of causing a strong sensation of warmth. Gypsum and oxide of copper, both of themselves cold, be- came warm to the patient when held in the author s left hand, but not in the right. Potassium in naphtha, of itself warm, after being laid (in its bottle) among fragments of sulphur, became as cold as it had at first been warm. The sulphur had neutralised the warmth of the metal, and had, besides, charged it with its ow'n coolness. The callipers of packfong, of itself warm, became cold when placed in salt; colder in contact with fluor-spar, and still colder with sulphur. A stick of sulphur, placed for a short time in contact with the potassium bottle became less cold. After a longer con- tact it w'as found cold in some parts, warm in others ; after being held for some time in the author’s left hand, it lost all coolness ; and, finally, when laid on the gold leaves, it even became warm. ' 203. It was therefore established that the force now under consideration could be transferred from one body to another by mere contact, so as to charge the latter, exactly as the force residing in crvstals. 204. Further experiments shewed, that a body might be charged with this force without contact. Thus the callipers were rendered cold by sulphur at f of an inch ; and blue vitriol wrapped in paper caused the long glass-tube to be- come cold at the distance of 9 inches. The hands of the author's daughters when held over a surface of sulphur, and then placed in those of Reichel, produced coldness, ac- companied by the sensation of pricking as of needles. 205. Plence this force may be transferred from one body to another without contact, by mere approximation. 206. Its conductibility is sufficiently obvious, but the author adds a few remarkable proofs. Thus, a copper-plate being connected with the patient’s hand by an iron-Avire 90 feet long, different substances, when laid on the plate, caused either Avarmth or coolness in about half a minute. Zinc, tin, lead, gold, mercury, potassium, potash, aqua potassie and minium, produced Avarmth; and sulphur, carbon, oxalic acid, aqua regia, sulphate of iron, and sea-salt, coolness ; and these effects sloAAdy disappeared, beginning to diminish half a