336 Mr Connevu on the Action of 
change of elements ; and the antecedent formation of sulphovinic 
acid, which is now held to consist of sulphuric acid and alcohol, 
scarcely interferes with the simplicity of this view. 
Strong analogical grounds would undoubtedly be afforded for 
the same opinion, from the composition of the compound ethers, 
if we had good reason for holding, with Lirsic, that ether is the 
oxide of an unknown radicle. But the galvanic experiments with 
ether, seem to me to be rather against that view ; for it would ap- 
pear that on electro-chemical grounds, such an oxide ought to 
give way under voltaic agency, by a separation of its electro- 
positive and electro-negative elements. Of such a separation, 
however, I obtained no indication whatever. 
It may perhaps, therefore, be safer simply to regard ether as a 
ternary compound of its elements, and to express its constitution 
by an empirical formula C*H"O. Alcohol, on the other hand, 
may be regarded as a hydrate of ether, and its formula will be 
C‘H"O + H. 
IV. Voltaic Action on Aqueous Solutions. 
In the course of the preceding investigations, I was naturally 
led into an examination of the nature of the voltaic action on 
solutions of various acids, alkalies, and salts in water; my prin- 
cipal object being to endeavour to distinguish between those 
cases in which the solvent and those in which the dissolved body 
was the immediate subject of the voltaic action, and thus to be 
better able to draw a similar distinction in the case of alcoholic 
solutions. In this inquiry,.I was of course necessarily led to 
examine many of those experimental results and conclusions 
which have been unfolded by Mr Farapay, in his interesting 
series of electrical researches; and therefore I may be pardoned 
for stating such views as have occurred to me on this part of the 
subject, seeing that I did not gratuitously enter upon it, but was 
