Voltaic Electricity on Alcohol, &c. 323 
anxious to endeavour to establish fully the view which I have 
taken of the nature of the action, from the obvious bearing which 
it has on the intimate constitution of alcohol. The essential 
change appears, as already stated, to consist in the decomposition, 
by the direct agency of the voltaic current, of water contained in 
the alcohol, and apparently entering into its constitution where 
absolute alcohol is acted on, the hydrogen being liberated at the 
negative pole, and the oxygen being employed in producing cer- 
tain secondary changes in the liquid, and, therefore, not appear- 
ing at its proper place. In order to pave the way for under- 
standing this view, it is necessary to recall to recollection the 
strong affinity which alcohol or its constituents have for oxygen, 
and the variety of circumstances under which we know that an 
oxidation of alcohol ensues, as well as the variation on the nature 
of the products, according to the energy of the oxidating circum- 
stances. The most familiar example is in the acetous fermenta- 
tion, whether it takes place under the ordinary circumstances, or 
be accelerated by platinum powder, in DosERerner’s process, 
the effect being truly an absorption of oxygen, and consequent 
formation of water and acetic acid, by oxidation of the constitu- 
ents of alcohol. Another example is afforded by the action of 
nascent oxygen proceeding from oxide of manganese and sulphuric 
acid, the oxidation being in that case of a more powerful descrip- 
tion and a more highly oxygenated acid, the formic being pro- 
duced at the same time with the acetic. A third instance I had 
occasion to point out a year or two ago,* in which the disposing 
affinity of potash was sufficient to lead to the absorption of oxy- 
gen, from the atmosphere, by alcoholic solutions of potash, and 
to an oxidation sufficiently energetic to occasion the formation 
of formic as well as of acetic acid, and some resinous matter. By 
the agency of glowing platinum also, with access of air, ether and 
* New Edinb. Philos. Jour. April 1833, vol. xxviii. p. 281. 
VOL. XIII. PART II. Tt 
