322 ^N SOME CHEMICAL AGENCIES OF BtECTEICITY, 



11. On the Changes produced by Electricity in Water. 

 Early observa- The appearance of acid and alkaline matter in water acted 

 *"*d^alLr"*^ on by a current of electricity, at the opposite electrified 

 Voltaic experi- metallic surfaces, was observed in the first chemical experi- 

 ments, raents made with the column of Volta *. 



Mr. Cruickshankt supposed, that the acid was the nitrous 

 acid, and the alkali ammonia. M. Desormes J soon after 

 attempted to show by experiments, that muriatic acid and 

 ammonia were the products, and M. Brugnatelli § asserted 

 the formation of a new and peculiar substance, which hehas 

 thought proper to call the electric acid. The experiments 

 said to be made in Italy, and in this country, on the pro- 

 duction of muriate of soda are recent j], and the discussions 

 with regard to them still alive. As early as 1800, I had 

 found that when separate portions of distilled w ater, filling 

 two glass tubes connected by moist bladders, or any moist 

 animal or vegetable substances, were submitted to the elec- 

 trical action of the pile of Volta by means of gold wires, a 

 nitre-muriatic solution of gold appeared in the tube con- 

 taining the positive wire, or the wire transmitting the elec- 

 tricity, and a solution of soda in the opposite tube **; but 

 I soon ascertained, that the muriatic acid owed its appear- 

 ance to the animal or vegetable matters employed ; for when 

 the same fibres of cotton were made use of in successive ex- 

 periments, and washed after every process in a weak solu- 

 tion of nitric acid, the water in the apparatus containing 

 ' fhera, though acted on for a great length of time with a 

 Tery strong power, at last produced no effect upon solution 

 of nitrate of silver* 



In cases when I had procured much sodaj the glass at its 



*' Nicholson's Journal, 4to. Vol. IV, p. 183. 



t Ibid. Vol. IV', p. 261. 



I Annales de Chimie, Tom. XXXVII, p. 233. 



§ Phil. Mag. Vol. IX, p. 181. 



li ByM. Pacchioni, and by Mr. Peele. Phil. Mag. Vol. XXI, 

 p. 279. 



** I showed the results of the experiment to Dr. Bed does at this 

 time; and mentioned the circumstance to Sir James Hall, Mr. Clay- 

 .field, aiid other friends in 1801. 



-point 



