It is well known, that on dark, stormy nights, the sea emits a
brilliant light, the effect of which may be thus imitated. Scrape off
four drams of the substance of putrefying fish, as whiting, herring,
or mackerel, and put it into a white glass bottle, containing two
ounces of sea-water, or of pure water with two drams of common salt
dissolved in it; set the bottle in a dark place, and in three days a
ring of light will be seen on the surface of the liquid, and the whole,
if shaken, will become luminous, and continue so for some time. If it
be set in a warm place, the light will be brighter; if the liquid be
frozen, the light will disappear, but will re-appear on being thawed.
If more salt be added to the solution, the light will disappear, but
instantly burst forth from absolute darkness by dilution with water.
Lime-water, common water, beer, acids, even very dilute alkaline
leys, as pearl-ash or soda and water, will permanently extinguish this
spontaneous light.