3 1-2 Experiments ubon the Decomposition qf Jfater. 



We may therefore mfcv the following consequences and 

 results from what I have now tlctaileci : 



III the first place, seven scruples of water submitted to 

 \'oIta'.s pile, as I have indicated, after having furnished lo 

 the positive pole a quantity of oxygen equal to the volume 

 of three scruples and a quarter of water, passed to the state 

 of oxy-miiriatic acid, M'hich dissolved part of the gold wire, 

 bv thus forming a fluid of a citron colour ; and, afler having 

 fiirnislud a quantity of oxygen equal to the first volume, the 

 o.\y -muriatic acid becomes simple muriatic acid ; anil the 

 goid, which in this manner had lost its menstruutii, is pre- 

 cipitated in the state of oxide. 



Seeondiv, the violet precipitate was a perfect oxide t)f 

 gold, since it was dissolved in the oxv-nuiriaiic acid, and as 

 I obtained from it the purpie of Cassius by means of the 

 nitro-muriate of tin. 



lliirdlv, while at the positive pole the muriatic acid is 

 formed by the disengagement of a certain quantity of oxy- 

 gen, a true alkali is produced at the negative pole by the 

 disengagement of double the quantity of hydrogen. This 

 result agrees with that of M. Mascagni j but it difiers from 

 that of iM. Pacchiani, in which the real existence of the 

 hyper-oxygenatcd water he has announced remains yet to 

 be proved. 



In the whole course of these experimcTits, and others of 

 the same kind, I was convinced that in order to render the pile 

 active a very dry atujosphere is necessary, and a very high 

 temperature, and, although several persons think otherwise, 

 that the pde should not be isolated. To conclude: not only 

 is it unncccssarv that the water with which the intermediate 

 paper disks are moistened should be distilled, but it is even 

 verv advantageous to dissolve some saline substance in it, 

 vhich niight speedily oxidate the zinc, the uietal of the po- 

 sitive pole: the reason for this is, that the activity of the 

 pile increases in proportion to the oxidation of this metal, 

 and even that the muriatic salts do not in this case directly 

 iiifluenee the production of the muriatic acid, but simply 

 oxidate this metal ; which several other sails do, more or 

 less. I observed besides, that after having obtained acid as 



well 



