Ifa piece of sealing-wax is rubbed, so as to excite it electrically, and if the projecting end of the wire is touched with the rabbe seal vox, a small charge of electricity is given to the wire, and through it to the gold leaves, so that they repel each other, and fly apart, making a figure like an inverted V. If the wire be touched with the finger the electric charge is conducted awny through the body, and the Teaves swing back ato their original position.
This effect of discharging was foul to be produced when asst or mineral containing uranium wus placed inside the box Mie. Carle, a Polish la-ly, living in Paris noticed that the rate at which the gold Teaves fell together wns more rapid with certain uraojam minerals (specimens of itch-blende) than cond be accounted for yy the uranium oxide la the mineral; she therefore separated the mineral into its roups of consinents—uranium, iron, lead, arium, bismuth, ete. (for the mineral contains all these and many other elements), and tested exch group as to its power of discharge. At first she thought abe had traced the discharging power to the bismuth group, and xttribat an element which she name polonium," after her native country.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.