&54 A NAIADS 01' THE GALVANIC PILE. 



scopes, or a circulation of the fluid through the pile, when 

 the extremities of the latter are connected together by a 

 conductor. Now, in tlie last of these cases, \? the electric 

 Jluid, in its course, meets with no substance that changes its 

 state ; as is the case in a pile composed of tinned iron, or zinc 

 plates, separated by Dutch gilt paper; we are indeed in- 

 formed by the electroscopes of its accumulation on one extre- 

 mity of the pile, and its deficiency on the other; however, 

 neither chemical effects in the circuit, nor the shock, are pro* 

 duced ; because the Jluid remains unaltered : but when it 

 pervades a pile, wherein, by a liquid being placed between 

 the two metals, there is calcination of one or both cf the lat- 

 ter, new effects appear : if the liquid be pure water, chemical 

 effects are produced in the circuit, but there is mo shock ; 

 if it be an acid, both effects are produced. 

 This theory These experiment.-?, especially on the different effects of 



r!? b ^. r t e m * tlle ****** of tne groups* * n(i of tne size °* tne P^tes, with 



May, 1808. the above theory on the cause of their different effects, were 



contained in my paper delivered to the Royal Society the 



30th of May, 1808, about one month before Mr. J. G. 



Children executed in presence of Mr. Davy and Mr. Allen 



the grand experiment of the same kind related m part \ 



of the Ph. Trans, for 1 809 V by which the theory which I 



had already announced, was confirmed. 



Questions on But here two questions arise, which go deeper into the 



them< dc of ^ » act i Gn Q f the Gahanic pile, and 5 her are these : 1. 



action vt tne * r , , i • , * . 



pile. Of what nature is the modification produced in the electric 



fluid, when it pervades a pile wherein the calcination of 

 some metal is going- on ? 2. What is the cause of the mo- 

 tion of this fluid in the pile, whether producing, or not pro- 

 ducing the shock and chemical effects in the circuit? 

 The nature of The solution of the former of these questions, which leads 

 fllTid answers to tnat °* l ^ e utter > Spends on the nature of the electric 

 the first. fluid; a subject much too long to be treated here ; but it is 



fully detailed in both the works I have already referred tof; 

 1 shall therefore here confine myself to the conclusions con- 

 tained in these works, as deduced from uninterrupted series 



* See Journal, vol, XXIV, p. 150. 



f f$e* sur la Meie*H>Ugk t aad Truitt iUmentaire sur le Fluide dUc- 

 trhgahaniQue. 



of 



