vlii CONTENTS. 



SEPTEMBER 1800, 



Engravings of the following Objefts : 1 . Two new Air Pumps. By Mr, R. A. 

 Clare, of Jamaica. And, 2. A Machine for performing the Procefs of 

 Kneading. 



I. Experiments and Obfervations made with the newly difcovered Pile of Sig. 

 Volta. By Lieut. Col. Henry Haldane. With Remarks by W. N. p. 242 



Defcrlption of the Apparatus. Severe irritation felt infteaiof the fhock, when two needles were 

 thruft under the Ikin, Exhibition of the pile under water ; in vacuo. Various metals tried. 

 Eledlrical experiments, &c. An enquiry how far the known laws of eleftricity arc fufficient 

 to account for the Galvanic fliock. Laws according to which elcflric jars are charged, fo as to 

 gi\'e equal (hocks, however different the furfaces, &c. Experiment of charging one fquare 

 toot of glafs, fo as to give an equal ftiock with the Galvanic pile. Meafure of the fpark whick 

 would charge the gold leaf eleftrometcr, is one three-thoufandtli of an inch. The Galvanic 

 intenfity is only one twenty-fifth part of this. The Galvanic capacity is equal to that of a bat- 

 tery of three millions fquare feet, and the produdive energy of the pile two hundred times as 

 great as that of a ftrong ele€lrical machine. 



II. Account of a Series of Experiments, undertaken with the View of decom- 

 pofing the Muriatic Acid. By Mr. William Henry. (Concluded from p. 214.) 



p. 245 



From thefe experiments, in which the muriatic acid gas was fubmitted to elcflricity, as well with 

 as without tlife addition of inflammable fiibftanccs, it was found, 1. That this gas in the drie/l 

 poffible ftate ftill contains water. 2. That eledric fliocks dccompofe this water, the hydrogen 

 becoming elaftic, and the oxygen uniting widi the acid, which diifolves the mercury. 3. Tliat 

 the eJearicity ferves as a medmm to combine the oxygen with the muriatic acid. 4. The real 

 muriatic acid undergoes no decompofition by eleflricity. 5. Electrical fliocks are pafled through 

 a mixture of carbonated hydrogen and muriatic acid gales, the fufpended water is decompofed 

 by the carbon, and the refults are carbonic acid and hydrogen gas. 6. When the water has 

 been all deflroyed, no farther effed follows ; or if by previous eledlrization the gafes be fepa- 

 rately deprived of water, no farther effect follows from eleflrifying their mixture. 7. If mu- 

 riatic acid be an oxygenated radical, its attraftion for oxygen is greater than that of charcoal. 

 8. The fluoric acid is not decompofed by this procefs, but feems capable of uniting with a fur- 

 plus of oxygen. 9. Carbonic acid appears not fufceptible of two (lates of oxygenation. 



III. On a New Fulminating Mercury. By Edward Howard, Efq. F. R. S. 

 (Concluded from p. 209.) - . - - - - p. 249 



IV. Additional Remarks on Galvanic Ele£lricity. By Mr. Wm. Cruickfbank, 

 Woolwich. Communicated by the Author. - - p. 254 



Chemical Examination of the gafes afforded by the decompofition of water by Galvanifm. Other 

 interefling experiments. General refults. 1. That hydrogen, with a very fmall portion of 

 oxygen and ammonia, is feparated from the filver fide. 2. The wire which feparates hydrogen 

 from water will reduce metallic folutions, whatever may be the wire. 3. That the folutions of 

 magnefia and argil are the only earths precipitated by this influence. 4. That when the wire 

 connefled with the zinc fide is gold, or platina, a quantity of oxygen gas, mixed witii a little 

 azote and nitrous acid is difengaged, and the quantity of gas thus difengaged, is rather more in 

 bulk than one third of the hydrogen from the other wire. 60 That the gafes obtained by gold 

 er platina wire being exploded together over mercury, the whole nearly difappears, and forms 



wat«r. 



