Excitement of Galvanic Electricity. 31% 
explained by Mr. Davy on a different theory. 
According to his view, bodies, which are 
capable of entering into chemical union, are 
invariably in opposite electrical states, oxygen 
for example is negative and hydrogen positive. 
From the known laws of electrical attraction 
and repulsion, it will follow that oxygen will 
be attracted by positive and repelled by nega- 
tive surfaces, and the contrary process will 
happen with respect to hydrogen. It 1s easy 
then to conceive that these opposite attractions 
may produce the decomposition of water. ‘To 
explain the locomotion of its elements, we 
may imagine a chain of particles of water, 
extending from the point P to the point N, 
fig. 2, and consisting each of an atom of 
oxygen united to an atom of hydrogen. In 
fig. 2, the combination is represented as undis- 
turbed, and the chain as consisting of six 
atoms of water. But when the attractive 
force of the point P for oxygen, and N for 
hydrogen, begin to act, an atom of oxygen and 
another of hydrogen are removed, as shewn - 
by fig. 3, and new combinations happen be- 
tween the remaining atoms; the second of 
oxygen uniting with the first of hydrogen, 
and so on. ‘The terminating atoms being 
supposed to be removed, a new change will 
follow similar to the first, and thus the process 
