■ '254 Tlxperments wiw Volt a' s Galvanic Apparatus, 



Exp, IX, The effe^l is ftrougcr as the wires approach^ but 

 witlibut touching each other; and particuhirly if the wires 

 are of zinc. It is of lefs ftrerigth with gold^ and weakefl 

 with oxyd of mangancfe. 



Ti hii^h tcmpei'ature of the water alfo contributes to 

 flrcngthcn it. 



' Exp, X. M. Richter obferving that the efle6ls took pl^ce 

 even ^heri the wires were far removed from each other, he 

 did not thiiik it probable that a particle of water at the one 

 \yire5 fo far diflant from the other^ would give hydrogen when 

 oxygen is produced at the othfer wire. He therefore afked him- 

 felf whethisr it was really the fame drop of water that furnifhed 

 the conftituent parts, or whether the water was not rather 

 the condudlor of the galvanic fluid, which produced the dif- 

 ferent gafes by a peculiar compofition. He endeavoured, 

 therefore, to feparate the two wires by a body diflferent from 

 water. Fig. 3. fhows how this was accompliflied. 



He filled two tubes with water, and formed a communica- 

 tion between them by means of a gold wire, c : the two 

 wires at the' extremities, /^ and ^, were alfo of gold. He 

 employed in the two fides the zinc and filver of his battery ; 

 and, putting hjs apparatus into a(^l:ion, found afterwards h\ 

 each of his tubes c^xygen and hydrogen gas, produced in the 

 fame manner as if there had been only one tube. 



Exp. XL M, Hichter then endeavoured to find a body 

 which might ferve as a conductor of the galvanic matter 

 without decompofing it. He found none among the folid 

 bodies, as gold had produced the decompofition of the water. 

 He employed fpirit of wine and fulphuric aether : they pro- 

 duced no air, but were good conduclors. He then took .con- 

 centrated alkaline folutions, which were better conductors, 

 but produced gafes. M. Richter at length found that co- 

 lourlefs concentrated fulphuric acid gave no gas, though sl 

 good conductor. Fig. 4 and 5 fhow in what manner he 

 employed it. The two glafs tubes, conlbined in the form of 

 a V, being half filled with acid, he made water to flow 

 gently down the fides of the glafs upon the fulphuric acid 

 until the ,tubes were filled; and this fucceeded fo well, that 

 the fluids did not .mix, fince a bit of paper, tinged with tinc- 

 ture 



