Mr R. Adie’s Account of Electrical Experiments. 99 
hermetically sealed and opened to the air at pleasure. The annexed 
figure represents a cell constructed with this view : 
A piece of ordinary glass test tube. 
A long capillary point. 
A piece of pure silver wire bent in two or three folds before 
insertion, to give surface, then fused air-tight into the end 
of the glass tube. 
D. A similar piece of iron wire. 
amb 
When the tube AA is filled with pure water, and sealed at B, 
there is a slight oxidation shewn through the first twelve hours, 
caused by the air absorbed in filling; for this form requires two or 
three heatings before it is filled. A voltameter with sheathed cop- 
per poles* and filled with acidulated water, shewed this action when 
connected with the wires C and D; the bells of hydrogen were seen 
slowly to rise one by one: after twelve hours no gas could be seen, 
it continued perfectly inactive for some time. ‘The orifice B was 
opened, and within twelve hours there was a steady current decom- 
posing water. As I considered this as the test experiment, I wished 
to have the electrical force in excess, for which a four-cell battery 
was constructed, each cell exactly like the one above; these were 
connected as a four pair series, and a small sheathed glass platina 
pole voltameter attached. When first made I could, with a magni- 
fier, detect the slow formation of beads of gas which rose at inter- 
vals of several minutes each, In twelve hours this action disappear- 
ed, and the battery remained perfectly inactive for some time; the 
atmosphere was admitted by the capillary points, and in six hours 
the voltameter shewed the passage of a current. The effect increased 
for nearly two days, when there was, considering the size of the 
plates, a rapid decomposition in the voltameter ; the orifices were 
now closed. By this time the water in the cells had absorbed a quan- 
tity of air, which kept the battery in action for six days after the 
supply from the atmosphere was shut off; but when its oxygen was 
exhausted the current disappeared, and the battery was again inac- 
tive. While experimenting with these cells I constantly experienced 
* See Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, vol, xxxv. p. 902, 
