CALVANIC POWER, ^^^ 



The Iron-work is not any inconvenience in the loading or 

 unloading of the caii/ nor ocddpies any room withiii it; and, 

 what is of material confequence in new inventions, it rhay be 

 managed by the carter with much lefs time and trouble than 

 the common hook and drag chain. It is alfo much more fe- 

 cure in its a6tion, as it binds on both wheels at once> and gives 

 a uniform fteady draught for the horfes, which prevents them 

 from falling down. 



Obfervatiom and Experiments to elucidate the Operation of the 

 Galvanic Power. By Mr. Charles Sylvester, In « 

 Letter from the Author » 



To the Editor of the PHiLOSbPiiic Jouri^al. 

 SIR, r 



1 HAVE for fome time read and admired your valuable pub- 'f 



lication, but have not before this time ventured a communica- .^^^ 



lion on any fubjeft. If you think the following thoughts and 

 experiments worthy the attention of your readers, I (hall feel 

 myfelf honoured if yoii give them a place in your Journal. 

 I remain, Sir, 



Your obedient fervant, 



CHARLES SYLVESTER, 

 Sheffield, Oa, 16, 1804-. 



The decompofition of water, or at leaft, the prefence of ^Vhether water 

 bxigen and hidrogen, is obferved in all the modes by which ^^^ \n xhT°rS\unc 

 galvanic energy is excited. I obferve that fome of yout* cor-procefsj 

 refpondents are inclined to doubt the truth of water being a 

 compound body, from obferving in its decompofition that the 

 oxigen and hidrogen are given out at fo great a diftance from ^ 



each other. Though thefe philofophers have more iimply ac- 

 counted for fome of the phenomena by making water a fimple 

 fubftance, their affumed data, that pofitive and negative elec- 

 tricity are two diftinfl bodies, is by far more gratuitous than 

 the pofition, that water is a compound, Belides this hypothe- -*-<w pof* and 

 fis will only account for a few of the faas, while it abounds tfaVS'^'^ 

 with contradidlion when applied to the reft of the phenomena bodies, 

 of galvanifm, 



N2 They 



