ANALYSIS OF THE GALVANIC TILE. 123 



air ; but if we want to Vnow the electric state of insulated 



bodies, the standard become* the actual state on the ground 



m that respect. When therefore a body is in commuuica- 



tion with the ground, it is neither plus nor miim, and I Neutral, 



shall call it neutral; meaning in the electric state of the . 



ground. 



In the insulated pile, when its extremities are connected 

 together by the glass tubes, it there oe some retardation of 

 .the electric jluid in pervading the water, it hardly can be 

 perceived, because this is a middle point between the po- 

 sitive and negative states; but if one of the extremities be 

 placed in communication with the ground, there may re- 

 main a residuum of the current ret aided, discoverable by 

 the condenser. This is the reason of the manner in which. 

 I have made the observations at the three points a, c, b : I 

 first observed them during the insulation of the pile; then 

 in placing alternately the extremities A and B in communi- 

 cation with the ground, and this I did by the contact of my 

 finger during the communication with the condenser. 



Exp, 3. While the chemical processes were going on in Exp. 3. 

 the glass tubes, I applied the condenser to the three points 

 a, c, b, in the manner above described, and the results Were 

 as follows : 



Without With contact With contact 



contact. of B of A. 



a • • pos. 0*2 • • • • pos, 03 0*0 



c 0*0 • • • • pos. 0-2 • • • • reg, 0"2 



b ncg. 0*1 O'O • • • • neg. 0*4 



This experiment clearly points out the direction of the course course of the 

 of the electric fluid, as I expected would happen, if it under- fl " id » 

 went some retardation in pervading the wa+cr of the tubes : it 

 certain ly enters the water 'from the sde a, si^ce a positive 

 residuum exists at a and c, whin the contact is on B: it 

 goes out and returns to the pile by the side b, since a ne- 

 gative residuum exists at c and b, when the contact is on A : 

 and this is the reason why the middle point c passes through 

 three different states ; it is neutral, when no acceleration is 

 produced in the natural course of the Jluid by the contact 

 of cither of the extremities ; but if the course is accelerated 



by 



