UISTORY OF GALVANISM. 303 



the pafteboard between the metals retains its moifture. Volta, 

 conceives that this apparatus in every refpect refembles the 

 electric organ of the torpedo and gymnotus electricus. 



As foon as this difcovery became known in England, a va- 

 riety of experiments were performed with the new apparatus, 

 and many very interefting and important facts were difcover- 

 ed : thefe are for the moft part detailed in Nicholfon's Journal, 

 Vol. IV. & feq. 



In the 4th vol. p. 17 4, is a paper written by Mr. Nicholfon Carlifle andNi- 

 himfelf. He begins with a defcription of Volte's pile, and S^^ 

 then relates the remits of fome experiments which were per- city of the pile, 

 formed upon a fimilar one by himfelf and Mr. Carlifle. By *]^j*/J er . its 

 ufing the revolving doubler they found that the electricity was and the decmp» 

 minus in the filver end of the pile, and plus in the zinc end.J !t ' 07io f' lv * ter » 

 Mr. Nicholfon piopofed that the influence. mould be permitted 

 to pafs from one end of the pile to the other through a tube of 

 water; for this purpote a divifion was made in the conducting 

 wire, which was compofed of copper, and the two ends of it 

 were terminated in a fmall tube of water. Immediately the 

 wire connected with the filver end of the apparatus began to 

 produce a gas, which was found to be hidrogen, while at the 

 fame time the wire connected with the zinc end became oxi- 

 dated. Recourfe was then had to a wire of platina which is into hidrogen 

 not oxidable, and immediately gas began to be evolved from and ox 'S cn ' 

 both ends. Upon examining the gafes feparately, that from 

 the filver end was hidrogen, that from the zinc end oxigen, 

 and they were generated nearly in the proportion requifite to 

 produce water. This experiment, as well with refpect to its importance of 

 immediate effects, as with regard to the confequences which th »s experiment, 

 may be deduced from it, may, I think, be juftly confidered as 

 the moft important that has occurred iince the difcovery of ox- 

 igen by Dr. Prieftley . The electric fpark was diftin&ly vifible Electric fpark 

 in thefe experiments. vifible. 



Mr. Cruicklhank relates his experiments, in which he made Cruickmank. 

 life of the interrupted circuit after the manner of Mr. Nichol- Efteclonche- 

 fon ; he caufed the influence to pafs firft through diftilled water 

 tinged with litmus, and afterwards through water tinged with 

 Brazil wood. In the firft cafe there was a rednefs produced 

 by the zinc, and in the fecond by the filver wine. By fubmit- 

 ting a portion of water for a long time to the action of the pile, 

 a fenfible diminution was obferved in its bulk. He obferved 



the 



