Views of the Theory of Galvanism. 169 



moment when the former metal ceases to be in its peculiar 

 state. Similar phaenomena take place, if in the experiment, 

 instead of a solution of copper, nitric acid (not too strong) is 

 made use of; but no such results' are obtained, when, in place 

 of copper, a metal is substituted which is not chemically acted 

 upon by the fluids mentioned. It is certainly true, that inact- 

 ive iron being put into a copper solution becomes of itself act- 

 ive ; but if the peculiar condition of the metal has been called 

 forth by repeated immersions in nitric acid of I '35, by which 

 means the highest degree of stability of chemical inactivity is 

 excited, it can stand rather a considerable length of time 

 in such a solution before it becomes active ; whilst, as already 

 stated, the peculiar condition of iron is almost instantaneously 

 destroyed, if the metal be voltaically associated with copper or 

 any other of the more readily oxidable metallic substances. 

 It is hardly necessary to mention here, that copper is che- 

 mically acted upon by solutions of the deut-salts of that 

 metal. Now if, according to M. Fechner's opinion, inactive 

 iron be a negative metal, how does it happen that in the cir- 

 cumstances mentioned, the iron changes so suddenly its vol- 

 taic character and turns positive again; and how comes it 

 that this change of state takes place only in case the metal, 

 which is voltaically combined with the iron, acts chemically 

 upon the fluid into which both metallic substances are plun- 

 ging ? I account for the change in question in the following 

 manner. My experiments have proved, that inactive iron by 

 being made the cathode of a current of a certain strength 

 loses its peculiar state, i. e. turns active. Now if such inact- 

 ive iron be voltaically associated with copper for instance, 

 and both metals put into a solution of blue vitriol, the copper 

 will be oxidized, and by this means a current excited to which 

 the iron of the arrangement bears the relation of the cathode. 

 This current must, according to what I said before, destroy 

 the peculiar condition of the latter metal and throw it into 

 chemical action. This action being superior to that which 

 takes place at the copper, the current produced by the for- 

 mer must also surpass in strength the current which is ex- 

 cited by the latter action ; and hence it follows that iron must 

 become positive with regard to copper. 



As Fechner does not allow chemical action to be a source 

 of current electricity, he of course cannot take the least notice 

 of what is going on in the voltaic arrangement described in a 

 chemical respect, and he must find out some other cause in 

 order to account for the change of the voltaic relations of 

 both metals to one another. What this cause may be, I must 

 confess I have not the least idea of. 



There is another fact that bears upon our question and 



