88 Royal Society. 



bine with an alkali that is naturally positive, and vice versa 

 Hence it is evident that, if* the electrical state of either th : 

 acid or alkali in the neutral salt is chanced, they cm fto 

 longer remain in union, as they instantly exert towards each 

 other a repulsive power proportionable to the inverse em iy 

 of their natural electrical affinity. This principle oi de- 

 composition, which Mr* Davy merely mentioned in the lec- 

 ture referred to by Auditor, was fully explained and illus- 

 trated in a subsequent one. 



He showed, by refined applications of his principles, that 

 in the decomposition of a neutra 1 salt in solution the order 

 of the arrangement varies. When popper wires, which rea- 

 dily combine with oxygen, and are easily soluble in an acid, 

 are used to transmit ti)e electricity, the positive wire attracts 

 the oxygen and acid, and repels the hydrogen and alkali. 

 But when platina wires are employed, which have but a very 

 slight affinit- for oxygen and acid, the phenomenon is very 

 different. Oxygen and acid, as before, are attracted by the 

 positive pole; but as they are jnpapable of uniting with the 

 platina, they instantly receive by contact its electric state, 

 and exercise a repulsive power towards it : the same effect 

 takes place with the hydrogen and alkali at the negative pole. 



If we follow this course of reasoning, it is evident that the 

 gaseous oxygen and hydrogen must diffuse themselves in 

 the atmosphere as they are liberated from their combina- 

 tions, and the acid and potash must find their states of rest 

 at a little distance from the positive and negative poles.. 

 I am, sir, with g re 4 respect, 



Your hurnble servant, 



A.B. 



XV. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



ROYAL SOCJETY. 



January 12. — The conclusion of Mr. Davy's Bakerian 

 Lecture was read. In this part of his communication Mr. 

 Davy gave an account of the decomposition of the fluoric 

 acid j detailed some curious experiments upon the muriatic 



acid j 



