136 EXPERIMENTS OP GALVANIC ELECTRICITY., 



any other caufe than its chemical agency ; for, with regard to. 

 conducting power, it appeared very much inferior to the other 

 folution. There is every reafon to believe, that with pure 

 water, that is, water deprived of air and of all faline fub-? 

 fiances, no action would be produced in this battery. I was un- 

 able to afcertain the fact by a direct experiment ; but I found 

 Water appears to repeatedly, that a pile, compofed of thirty-fix feries of fquare 



aft, notas aeon- p| ates f copper and zinc, of five inches in diameter, loft, its 



du&or, but by' . . . ri ... r . , 



its gas. activity in nitrogene and hydrogene gales, in about two days; 



and it was conftantly reftored by common air ; and rendered 



more intenfe by oxigene gas. 



Water and oil II. When the galvanic battery, with large plates, was iri 



made to boil byfou a ftion, it was found that aw * of an inch in diame- 



galvanifoi. . „ , . . . .. 



ter, and two feet long, when placed in the circuit, was ren- 

 dered fo hot as to caufe a fmall quantity of water, brought in 

 contact with it, fpeedily to boil. It continued warm for many 

 minutes ; and, by an occafional momentary interruption and 

 completion of the circle, the heat was permanently kept up, 

 When three or four inches of the wire of -yy^ were placed in 

 any part of the conducting chain, they continued red-hot for 

 more than a minute ; and^ by a fucceflion of interruptions and 

 contacts, they were kept partially ignited for five or fix mir 

 nutes. When that part of the communicating chain containing 

 the fmall wire was introduced into a fmall quantity of ether^ 

 alcohol, or oil, the fluid foon became warm ; and olive oil^ 

 the only fubflance that was expofed for a fufficient time, was 

 made to boil, 

 Charcoal made III. When two fmall pieces of well burned charcoal, or a 

 red hot under pj ece f charcoal and a metallic wire, were made to complete 

 with the extrlca- tne circle, in water, vivid fparks were perceived, gas was 

 tion of gafes. given out very plentifully, and the points of the charcoal apr 

 peared red-hot in the fluid, for fome time after the contact was 

 made ; and, as long as this appearance exifted, elaftic fluicj 

 was generated, with the noife of ebullition. Thefcnfeble phe- 

 nomena were nearly the fame with the volatile and fixed oils^ 

 ether, and alcohol ; and, by means of charcoal, the fpark 

 could be produced in concentrated fulphuric and nitric acids,, 

 which are amongft the beft of the lefs perfect conductors. 

 Nature of the The gafes produced from different fluids by the galvano- 

 gafes $ eleftric fpark, were examined ; and as the refults were, in 



mofl 



