204 Dr. Hare on Prof. Daniell's Defence 



recompositions, an atom of oxysulphion is liberated at the 

 anode, while an atom of sodium is liberated at the cathode. 

 These severally, by acting on water, are converted into soda 

 and oxysulphionide of hydrogen, evolving at the cathode one 

 atom of hydrogen for each atom of soda, and one atom of 

 oxygen at the anode for each atom of oxysulphionide of 

 hydrogen, or in other words, for each atom of free sulphuric 

 acid. 



5. Agreeably to the idea that oxide of sodium is the elec- 

 trolyte, for each atom of water decomposed by the sodium 

 evolved at the cathode, there will be an atom of hydrogen 

 evolved, and an atom of soda generated, while for each atom 

 of oxygen liberated at the anode by the decomposition of the 

 soda, in which it existed, there will be an atom of acid set 

 free, or according to the nomenclature of Professor Daniell, 

 left in the state of oxysulphionide of hydrogen. Hence con- 

 sistently with either view of the phaenomena, the transfer of 

 acid and soda can only proceed pari passu, atom for atom, 

 with the evolution of oxygen and hydrogen at the anode and 

 cathode respectively. 



6. According to Professor Daniell, " it is my oversight of 

 the fact that the acid accompanies the oxygen to the zincode 

 while the metal travels to the platinode, that causes his ex- 

 periments with the membrane to appear to me complicated 

 and confused." It was stated in my pamphlet, that when by 

 means of a membrane dividing the space between electrodes, 

 two fluids were subjected to the voltaic current, as for instance 

 a solution of potash and sulphate of copper, there would be, 

 according to one way of viewing the subject, a continuous 

 row of oxygen anions from the cathode to the anode; the 

 cathions being on one side of the membrane potassium, on 

 the other copper. According to the view preferred by Daniell, 

 the anions on one side would be oxygen, on the other oxy- 

 sulphion, but evidently oxysulphion could not pass by elec- 

 trolytic decomposition and recomposition beyond the point at 

 which it is replaced by oxygen in the row of anions. Of course 

 it is as inconsistent with one view as the other, that free acid 

 " oxysulphionide of hydrogen " should be liberated within the 

 zincode cell when not containing a sulphate. 



7. No effort is made by the distinguished Professor to ex- 

 plain how the copper can, as alleged by him, yield up its charge 

 of electricity to hydrogen, without uniting with the oxygen 

 of the water, in which that hydrogen existed. 



8. The allegation that the precipitation of the copper en- 

 sues because " that metal finds nothing by combining with 

 which it can complete its course," seems to be coupled with 



