Biographical Notice of Alexander Vola. 69 
Keiniplaiered. ie the e manner, the cause of the burning 
soils Bictzasi, of th the burning fountain of Dauphiny, of 
the i — phenomena of Petramala, of Villeja, &c.; the 
pection of places every where proved the cor rectness of 
his dxplanaticen; which had besides the positive merit of point- 
ing out the imperfectly known cause of these wandering 
fires, and the advantage of shewing that this phenomenon was 
not owing, as was supposed, to the presence of soba or 
bitumen, in the places where it was manifested. 
Volt 
alluded, ro the discovery of the electrical pistol, in which, 
by means of an sledtese seat the sudden combustion of 
hydrogen, produces a loud explosion. It is this pr 
of electricity, of setting fire to inflammable gases, which, 
combined with another discovery of Volta, that of the 
electrophorus, gave birth to the hydrogen gas lam 
also to the same property, that we are indebted for the most 
exact mode of analyzing gases, particularly the eudiometer, 
invented by Volta himself. This instrument, the use of 
which, is to shew the Baboon of oxygen contained in a 
certain anaeetr of atmospheric air, depends on different 
principles, whi 
ed from s 
The mode secipoand by Volta, and which has been acknowl- 
vie ome bolt ra Gay Lussac, sc sgn ble to all 
pares i 
to determine os ~ an electric = the ombina- 
tion of the two gases, and consequently the famatien of 
water, and to take one third of the total diminution of the 
mixture, which is found to be the expression of the given 
quantity of oxygen sought. 
~ It remains for us to speak of that discovery of Volta, which 
has contributed most to his fame, viz. the new method of 
producing electricity, which is called by his name, and which 
will always remain a monument of the genius of this learn- 
ed man, to whom it owes its origin. 
Galvani, being engaged in some anatomical experiments, 
perceived that two heterogeneous metals, connected b 
lar to an electric shock. This learned oem and 
some other philosophers, struck with this shitcaeahill 
4 
