4 On some Chemical Ai^cnclcs of Eleclr'icihj. 



attempted to show by experiments that inuriatic acid and 

 ammonia were the products; and M. Brugnatelli * asserted 

 the formation of a new and peculiar substance, which he 

 has thought proper to call the electric acid. The experi- 

 ments said to be made in Italy, and in this country, on the 

 production of muriate of soda are recent f, and the discus- 

 sions with regard to them siill alive. As earl) as 1800, I 

 had found, that \\ hen separate portions of distilled water, 

 filling two glass tubes connected by moist bladders, or any 

 moist animal or vegetable substances, were submitted to the 

 electrical action of the pile of Volta by means of gold wires, 

 a nitro-muriatic solution of gold appeared in the tube con- 

 taining the positive wire, or the wire iransmitliug the elec- 

 tricity, and a solution of soda in the opposite tube J : but 

 I soon ascertained that the muriatic acid owed its appear- 

 ance to the animal or vegetable matters employed ; for when 

 the same fibres of cotton were made use of in successive ex- 

 periments, and washed after every process in a weak solu- 

 tion of nitric acid, the water in the apparatus containing 

 them, though acted on for a great length of time with a 

 verv strong power, at last produced no effect upon solution 

 of nitrate of silver. 



To cases when 1 had procured nuieh soda, the glass at its 

 point of contact with the wire seemed considerably cor- 

 roded ; and I was confirmed in my idea of referring the pro- 

 duction of the alkali principally to this source, by finding 

 that no fixed saline matter could be obtained by electrifying 

 distilled water in a single agate cup from two points of pla- 

 tina coni>ected with the Voltaic battery. Similar conclu- 

 sions with regard to the appearance of the muriatic acid had 

 been formed by the Galvanic Society of Paris by Dr. Wol- 

 laston, who hit upon the happy expedient of connecting the 

 tubes together by well washed asbestus ; and by Messrs. 

 Biot and Thenard §. 



* Phil. Mag. vol. ix. p. ISl. 



f By M. Paccliiani and by Mr. Peele, Phil. M.ig. vol. xxi. p. 279. 



^ I showed the results of the experiment to Dr, Beddocs at this time; and 

 mentioned the circumttaiice to sir James Hall, Mr. Clayfield, and other friends 

 in I SOI. 



§ No. xl. Du MvniUur, 180G. 



Mr. 



