6n the pile of volta. 199 



itfelf confifts of thefe two kinds of air, and this procefs be mofphcre be ex- 

 capable of decompofing it, air fhould not be produced from it f^wu^ ° r 

 tn a.H thefe cafes ; both the conftituent parts of the water being 

 prefent, and the power of feparating them being in full ope- 

 ration. Befides, I find that though the two kinds of air be 

 produced, they are not always in the proportion required by 

 the new theory, the dephlogifticated air being much lefs than 

 is requifite. I have alfo found it not much better than atmo- 

 i'pherical aft*. The inflammable air I believe to be of the 

 pureit kind. 



If this inflammable air come from the decompofition of the Other facts, 

 water, the water from which it is extracted ought to contain 

 an overplus of oxigen, either in the form of dephlogifticated 

 air, or of acid. But the figns of acidity bear no proportion 

 to the quantity of inflammable air produced, and can hardly 

 be perceived at all. I did perceive it when I made the pro* 

 cefs in water tinged with the juice of litmus, but only by the 

 rednefs of the froth from the wire connected with the zinc 

 end of the pile, the liquor itfelf remaining unchanged, not- 

 withftanding a copious production Qf inflammable air from the 

 other wire. Alfo, when I introduced a piece Of raw flefti in- 

 flead of the metal connected with the zinc end of the pile, no 

 air came from it, nor did I perceive that the furface of it had 

 acquired arty acidity, though inflammable air was produced in 

 great plenty from the other wire. 



But, except gold or platina be connected with the zinc end The fufpended 

 of the pile, there is feldom any production of air from that ™gfap&ffrated 

 quarter, the metal in that fituation beipg diflblved ; and there tvltb pblogifton. 

 is no appearance of its being diflblved by any acid, but, on 

 the contrary, of its being fuperfaturated with phlogifton. But 

 before I produce the evidence of this, which affords an argu- 

 ment againft the decompofition of water that appears to me 

 to be perfectly decifive, I fhall relate fome circumftance9 

 concerning this folution of metals, which I do not find to have 

 been noticed by others. 



In general, wires connected with the zinc end of the pile Metallic folu* 

 are diflblved, but none fo readily as thofe of filver, even when t,on . s ty S al * 

 the wires connected with the filver end of the pile are of the 

 fame metal, and give air copieufly ; but if zinc or iron be 

 connected with the filver end of the pile, any other metal, 

 except gold or platina, conne&ed with the zinc end will be 



dilfolved. 



