Voltaic Electricity on Alcohol, Se. 341 
acid, and then thoroughly freed from all traces of acid by water. 
The muriatic acid was then connected with the negative side of 
fifty pairs of two-inch plates, and the distilled water with the po- 
sitive, when a slight effervescence took place from both poles. 
After a quarter of an hour’s action, not the slightest trace of chlo- 
rine could be detected in either tube, either by the smell or by 
bleaching action on test-paper, but a feeble trace of acid was 
shewn by test-paper in the positive tube. After an action of one 
hour and a quarter, there was still not a trace of chlorine in 
either tube, and the reddening action on test-paper of the po- 
sitive liquid was somewhat increased. In nine hours, the red- 
dening action of the water was still more decided, and a very 
feeble and doubtful odour of chlorine was observed in it. Now, 
what inference is to be drawn from this experiment. I appre- 
hend the following is the explanation. The slight effervescence 
which took place from both poles, arose from decomposed water, 
its elements going to their proper poles. The muriatic acid was 
not decomposed ; had it been so, the chlorine would have imme- 
diately passed towards the positive pole, and would have betrayed 
itself in one or both tubes by its usual characters. If, only after 
nine hours’ action, a doubtful trace of it could be observed in 
the positive water, its origin was due to the secondary action of 
the oxygen on the muriatic acid, which had passed over partly 
by the natural tendency of the acid to the positive side, and part- 
ly by capillary action. That this is the true explanation, will 
still farther appear from the following experiments. Muriatic 
acid, diluted with two or three times its bulk of water, was placed 
in A as before, and water acidulated with a few drops of sulphu- 
ric in B, with which latter liquid the connecting asbestus was 
moistened. The diluted muriatic was made negative, and the 
acidulated water positive. A brisker effervescence than before 
took place from both poles, from the better conducting power 
of the positive liquid; but still in ten minutes not a trace of 
chlorine could be detected in either tube, either by the smell 
ie 12 
