14 On some Chemical Jgcnclcs of Ekctricifi/. 



plied to the filiate of lime, bei'ore I was able to gain decided 

 results. In the last process performed on this substance, 

 two pieces of a large single crystal were hollowed by grind- 

 ing, so as to contain about five grains of water each ; they 

 were connected by moist asbestus, and constantly subjected 

 during four days to the strong action of a battery oi 150 pairs 

 of plates of four inches square. As the water din)inished, 

 its place was supplied by new quantities. At liie conclu- 

 sion of the experiment the fluid on-tli£ positive side of the 

 apparatus instantly reddened litmus, tasted very sour, and 

 gave a distinct precipitate with a s>)lution of muriate of ba- 

 rytes ; the water on the other side deepened the tincture of 

 turmeric, but did not render solution of sulphate of potash 

 turbid. There was a small quantity of white crust, how- 

 ever, on the sides and the bottom of the cavity, and I con- 

 ceived that this might be the barytes, which, during the ex- 

 tremely slow decomposition, would have combined with the 

 carbonic acid of the atmosphere. To ascertain if this had 

 been the case, I introduced into the cavity a drop of diluted 

 Tiuirialic acid ; a slight cflervcscence appeared, and the fluid 

 obtained occasioned a dibtinct white cloudiness in soluliou 

 of sulphate of soda. 



In all these cases the constituent parts of the bodies newly 

 arranged by the efl'ects of electricity existed in considerable 

 quantities, and exposed on a large surface to its action. I 

 had great reason to believe, however, from the trials with 

 distilled water in different vessels, that very minute portions 

 of acid and alkaline matter might be disen-jaged by this 

 agency from solid combinations, principally consisling of 

 the pure earths. 



This part of the investigation was easily elucidated. 



For a purpose of geological inquiry, which on a future 

 occasion I shall have the honour of lavinsj before the so- 

 ciety, I had made a careful analvsis of a specimen of line 

 grained basalt from Port Rush, in the county of Antrim, by 

 means of fusion with boracic acid : it had afforded in 100 

 parts 3J- parts of soda, and nearly one-half a part of muri- 

 atic acid, with 13 parts of lime. This stone appeared to me 

 very well fitted for the purpose of experiment : cavities were 



drilled 



