52 VISCIDITY OF WATER, 



The cTpcri- ^'^^^ ^^ *^® tube. la ten minutes from the commence- 

 ment succeeded ment, the water in the cup was so changed as to be capa- 

 acid a^d"n'd- ^^^ ot" turning yellow turmeric paper, brown ; the water 

 cali were pro- in the tube betrayed at the same time (he presence of an 

 duced. • acid. After the process had gone on for about four hours, 



I tried the acid part with sulphat of silver, and had a deci- 

 ded precipitate of muriat of silver. 

 The alcali was -^^^ liquor in the cup containing the alcali, I then eva- 

 a fixed alcali. porated to dryness, and afterwards heated the cup nearly 

 red hot y a residuum' remained in the bottom, to which I 

 added fresh distilled water. I found the alcali still pre- 

 sent ; a proof that it is a fixed alcali. 

 Inferences that ^^ ^^^^ experiment the alcali was much more abundant 

 the nitric and than the acid. I have seen in other experiments the acid 

 and a'\'^th^^ll! "^^^^ predominant ; sometimes the nitric acid is formed, 

 calls art oxides and little Or none of the muriatic. From the above (acts 

 of hydrogen, j^- would appear that the nitric and muriatic acids, as well 

 as the three alcalis are oxydes of hydrogen. At the posi- 

 tive wire, a portion of water is decomposed, the nascent 

 oxigen combines with a portion of jvater, and forms the 

 nitric or the muriatic acid. The hydrogen is then carried 

 by the electricity, through the bladder or other substance 

 to the opposite Avire, where the nascent hydrogen combines 

 with a portion of water to form the alcali, so that the 

 muriatic acid would be water, plus oxigen, and the alcali 

 would be water, plus hydrogen. Hoping that some of your 

 ingenious correspondents will soon confirm these facts, 

 I remain, Dear Sir, 

 Your most obedient servant, 



CHARLES SYLVESTER. 



a6. Noble Street, Cheapside, 

 August 19, 1 806. 



vin. 



Experhncnis and Obyervations on ilic Adhesion of the 

 Particles of Water to each other, Ity Benjamin, 

 Count o/RuMFORD, F. R. S. ^-c. Communicated bij 

 the Author to the National Institution of JSrcmcc, and 

 transmitted bij him to Jjie Editor. 



Small bodies v V E often see small bodies of a specific gravity, much 



0/ considerable p^(,^gj|jjjg ^j^j^^ of Water, float upon the surface of that 



2 exceeding 



