320 - Mr Connewt on the Action of 
of iodide of potassium, of boracic acid, of arsenic acid, and of 
some other bodies, were dissolved in alcohol, hydrogen was evol- 
ved, as in the case of potash, from the negative pole, whilst none 
appeared at the positive pole ; but in these cases the action was 
not so great as with potash. Thus, from 14 dram alcohol, con- 
taining about ;4, of recently ignited chloride of calcium, and 
acted on in the tube Fig. 2 by seventy pairs of four-inch plates, 
about one-third of a cubic inch of gas was obtained in half an 
hour. The negative foil then became coated with lime, and the 
action was almost entirely stopped ; but it was again renewed on 
removing the coating from the foil, and one-sixth of a cubic inch 
more gas was got in from two to three hours. I shall afterwards 
notice more particularly the nature of the changes produced on 
the substances held in solution, when they appear to be decom- 
posed. 
Alcohol holding a little iodine in solution shewed no effer- 
vescence from either pole, when acted on by fifty pairs of two- 
inch plates, a power amply sufficient to shew the action with the 
other substances. 
My next object was to endeavour to obtain a voltaic action on 
alcohol not holding any foreign body dissolved. The strongest 
galvanic power which I had at my command consisted of 216 pairs 
of four-inch plates ;* and this power I found sufficient for my pur- 
pose. The alcohol acted on was placed in the tube Fig. 2, of 
the capacity of 1} dram. The platinum foil poles were about 
one inch long by one-fifth broad, and were soldered with gold to 
platinum wires, of about ;', inch diameter, which passed through 
the cork. The bent tube served for collecting the gas. The 
* All the galvanic batteries employed in the experiments detailed in this paper 
were fixed in mahogany troughs in the usual way. The charge employed was two 
measures of sulphuric acid, one measure of nitric acid, and about 100 measures of 
water. 
