■Chimical EfftBs of Galvanic EU^ricily. ' %i^, 



and hydrogenous, in -tlie pBa|§|ktion of 136 to ii3. Now the 118 parts-of hydrogen 

 gas require 59 by meafure of oxygen gas for faturation. The remaining 77 parts of 

 oxygen gas arofe from the de-oxygenation of the acid. 



6. As no certain conclufions refpe£ling the compofition of the muriatic acid can be 

 drawn from experiments, inftituted on it when condenfed by water, I was eager to try 

 the effects of this new and powerful agent on the acid in a gafeous form. But it way 

 neceffary to afcertain previoufly, whether the galvanic influence be capable of paffing 

 through aeriform bodies. An argument to the contrary was furniflied by the inelficiency 

 of this influence in inflaming mixtures of oxygen and hydrogen gafes ; for when the gafe? 

 evolved from decompofed water, have difplaced the whole of the liquid above the ex- 

 tremity of the upper wire, the evolved gafes do not take fire, as they do in the experiment 

 of Dr. Deiman. Another fa£t, fhewing the uon-tranfmlfiion of this influence through 

 air, is that when a little air is let up Into an inverted tube filled with water, and furniflied 

 with two condudtors, fo as to difplace the water a little below the extremity of the upper 

 wire, no gas afcends, though the lower wire be connected with the filver bafe of the pile. 

 I found, alfo, that a divifion in a piece of tin-foil pafted on glafs, even when fo fmall a$ 

 not to be difcerned without a magnifier, interrupted the paflage of the galvanic fluid. 

 But this non-condurting property might pofllbly be peculiar to common air, and it was 

 dcfirable, therefore, that the tranfmitthig power of other gafes fliould be afcertained. 



One of the moft delicate J^fts I know of the efi"e£l of eleflricity on gafes is furniflied by 

 the phofphorated hydrogen* gas, which, by common ele£lrical (hocks, or even fparksj 

 is expanded with great rapidity. I expofed, therefore, a portion of this gas over mercury, 

 in a tube furniflied at one end with a platina conductor, which was conne£ted with the 

 Clvcr end of the pile, while the mercury that confined the gas was connefted with the zinc 

 end. But after (landing feveral hours, no change had enfued. In a fimilar manner I 

 expofed a mixture of muriatic acid and oxygenous gafes, which common ele£lrlcal dif- 

 charges rapidly dimini(h, without any contraction of bulk, or change of properties ♦, 

 Neither was any permanent gas evolved by a fimilar treatment of muriatic acid gas ^lone. 

 The deficiency of the property of tranfmiflion through gafes limits confiderably the ufe of 

 galvanifm as a chemical agent, and has totally overturned my projetl of attempting, by its 

 intervention, the analyfis of muriatic acid. 



7. Finding it imprafticable to tranfmit the influence through ammoniacal gas, I ex- 

 pofed to its a61:ion a portion of water perfe£tly faturated with this alcali. The refult, 

 which has been confirmed by frequent repetitions, furprized me not a little. No oxy- 

 genous gas was produced ; for the evolved gas was not dimini(hed by fulphurct of pota(h, 

 neither did it inflame on pa(nng through it an elcftric fpark. On firing it with oxygen 



* I was niifled at firft to believe that 3 contraftion had taken place, becaufe the fealing wax, with 

 which the platina wires were covered, had abferbeii a portion of muriatic acid gas. 



Vol. IV. — August 1800. Gg gas, 



