Additional Remarks en Galvanic EUBricity. i.6t 



A quantity of pure ammonia being introduced into a bottle, and inverted in fome of the 

 fame fluid in the manner already explained, the conne£ling wire on the zinc fide was 

 changed from (ilver to platina ; in this cafe a very rapid produdlion of gas took place from 

 both wires, but the greateft from the filver wire. After two ounce meafures of this gas 

 had been colleded, it was examined, and found to confift of, 



Hydrogen gas - - - 15 parts 



Azotic gas - - . . ij 



And oxygen gas - - _ 2 nearly. 



30 

 indeed the quantity of oxygen was fo fmall, that it could only be detefted by nitrous gas, 



and it may have been originally contained in the fluid. In this cafe the ammonia muft 

 have been decompofed at the zinc wire, the difengaged oxygene uniting with the hydro- 

 gen, while the azote of the ammonia efcaped in the form of gas, and mixed with the hy- 

 drogen difengaged at the fame time from the filver wire. 



In a former paper I mentioned that the fulphuric acid was decompofed by galvanifm, 

 without defcribing however the particular appearances. A quantity of the concentrated 

 fulphuric acid was poured into a tube bent in the form of the letter V, two flips of platina 

 were introduced, one into each leg, and brought within an inch of each other at the bend ; 

 the tube was then placed in an inclining pofition with the bend downwards, and the platina 

 flips were attached to the extremities of the machine. 



In a few feconds a very confidcrable. quantity of gas made its appearance at the zinc wire, 

 and continued to rife during the whole procefs ; from the filver wire a fmall quantity of 

 gas was likewife difengaged, but in a fliort time the fluid in this leg of the tube loft its 

 tranfparency, and became milky and opake. After the procefs had been continued for 

 feveral hours, a quantity of a yellowifh white powder was depofited on the filver wire, and 

 the fluid ftill continued muddy ; the acid, however,, in the other leg, not only preferved its 

 tranfparency, but became even more fo ; it likewife had a peculiar fmell, fomewhat like 

 that of the ox. mur. acid when very dilute. The tube being removed, water was added 

 to the muddy acid, in confequence of which a whitifh powder was depofited, which was 

 found to be fulphur. The yellowifli powder depofited on the platina flip proved likewife to 

 be fulphur. The gas obtained during this procefs was not particularly examined, it was 

 only found not to be inflammable, or if it contained any, inflammable gas, it muft have 

 been in very fmall quantity. 



The efFefts of this influence upon the nitrous acid were not exa£tly what might have 

 been expefted ; fome of this fluid in its moft concentrated and fuming ftate, being intro- 

 duced into the bent tube juft defcribed, and the platina flips applied, very little or no gas 

 was difengaged from the flips or wires of either fide, nor even after fome time, was the 

 appearance of the acid fenfibly changed. The influence, however, was perfedly tranf-. 

 Biitted, for the machine^ although in full adion, did not give the leaft ihock whilft.the 



tube- 



