Mme Curie made a detailed examination by the electrical method of the great majority of known substances, including the very rare elements, to see if they possessed any activity. In cases where it was possible, several compounds of the elements were examined. With the exception of thorium and phosphorus, none of the other substances possessed an activity even of the order of ¹⁄₁₀₀ of uranium. The ionization of the gas by phosphorus does not, however, seem to be due to a penetrating radiation like that found in the case of uranium, but rather to a chemical action taking place at its surface. The compounds of phosphorus do not show any activity, and in this respect differ from uranium and the other active bodies. Le Bon[11] has also observed that quinine sulphate, if heated and then allowed to cool, possesses for a short time the property of discharging both positively and negatively electrified bodies. It is necessary, however, to draw a sharp line of distinction between phenomena of this kind and those exhibited by the naturally radio-active bodies. While both, under special conditions, possess the property of ionizing the gas, the laws controlling the phenomena are quite distinct in the two cases. For example, only one compound of quinine shows the property, and that compound only when it has been subjected to a preliminary heating. The action of phosphorus depends on the nature of the gas, and varies with temperature. On the other hand, the activity of the naturally radio-active bodies is spontaneous and permanent. It is exhibited by all compounds, and is not, as far as is yet known, altered by change in the chemical or physical conditions.