1855.] on Electric Conduction. 125 



and beautiful and close as the electrolytic proofs have been carried, 

 they are not by us considered as sufficient to show that the function 

 of conduction proper is altogether absent from electrolytes. 



(SomQ account was then given of the experiments and arguments 

 on both sides ; and of the striking electrolytic fact, that if a current 

 of electricity, however small, is sent through a circuit containing 

 a couple of platina plates in dilute sulphuric acid, the plates are 

 found thereby electrically polarized.) 



The enquiry as regards electrolytes takes on three forms. Tliey 

 may possess a degree of conduction proper at all times — or they 

 may be absolutely destitute of conduction proper— or they may 

 possess conduction proper up to a certain condition, governed either 

 by requisite intensity for electrolyzation or by other circumstances, 

 but which, when that condition is acquired, changes into electrolytic 

 conduction ; and these three forms may be further varied by con- 

 siderations dependent upon the physical state of the electrolyte, as 

 whether it be solid or liquid, hot or cold, and whether it be pure or 

 contain other substances mingled with it. 



From the time when the question was raised by myself, twenty 

 years ago, to the present day, I have found it necessary to suspend 

 my conclusions ; for close as the facts have in certain cases been 

 urged by those who believe they have always obtained decompo- 

 sition results, when an electrolyte has performed the part of a 

 conductor, and freely as I could have admitted the facts and the 

 conclusions if there had been no opposing considerations, still, 

 because there are such considerations, I am obliged to reserve my 

 judgment. In the first place all bodies not electrolytic, even up to 

 gases (Becquerel,) are admitted to possess conduction proper ; a 

 j^riori, tlierefore, we have reason to expect that electrolytes will 

 possess it also. If from amongst different bodies we retain for con- 

 sideration the class of electrolytes only, then though the amount of 

 electricity of a given intensity which these can transmit electrolyti- 

 cally when they are Jiuid, is often almost infinitely greater than 

 that which they can convey onwards by conduction proper, when 

 they are solid; still the 'conduction in the latter cases is very 

 evident. A piece of perfectly dry solid nitre, and of many other 

 electrolytes, discharges a gold leaf electrometer very freely, and I 

 believe by the power of conduction proper ; and that being the 

 case, I do not see that the assumption of the very highest con- 

 dition of electrolytic conduction when the nitre is rendered fluid is 

 any argument for the absolute disappearance of the conduction 

 proper which belonged to the body in the solid state, though it 

 may override the latter for the time and make it insensible. These 

 considerations are, however, such as arise rather from the absence 

 of the final and strict proof on the opposite side, than from any 

 thing very positive in their own character ; but it has occurred 

 to me that the phenomena of static electricity will furnish us with 

 many reasons of a positive nature, in favour of the possession by 



