274 THE POTASSIUM 



I believe Mr. Grove has succeeded in affecting 

 gold leaves, by a small number of pairs of his gas 

 battery ; and I am not yet aware how small a 

 number of my arrangement will produce sensible 

 action upon the Electroscope, but shall shortly 

 attempt this enquiry, when time permits.* 



These experiments with Potassium tend to 

 show, that there is a very intimate relation (if not 

 a complete analogy) between electrical and chem- 

 ical phenomena, as shown by Sir H. Davy. For 

 the substance which possesses the highest chemi- 

 cal affinity^ is here shown to manifest also the 

 most exalted electrical energy or tension, and vice 

 versa ; and this electrical energy is at all times 

 proportional to the measure of the chemical forces 

 employed. The battery was, on one occasion, kept 

 in continuous action for two hours, and, by a 

 little contrivance, the Potassium was, in each cell, 

 simultaneously raised from its membrane into the 



* Since this paper was read, the author has attempted 

 the deflection of gold leaf by six pairs, and succeeded very 

 satisfactorily. Five pairs, four, three, and two were tried, and 

 a measured deflection took place in each instance ; and, ulti- 

 mately, one pair alone produced a sensible and measured 

 deflection. 



