On the Composition of the Muriatic Add. 1 73 



tub of water, its extremity entered below a bell glass filled 

 with the same fluid. The two gold wires being then placed 

 in communication with the two poles of the pile, its activity 

 was immediately manifested by the disengagement of gas in 

 a strino- of very perceptible bubbles coming from the inferior 

 cxtrendty of each of the gold wires, but in a much greater 

 quantity from that connected with the copper pole. The 

 pile was kept in action, with very little interruption, from 

 the 8tlv Thermidor to the llth of the following month. 

 After any intemiption whatever, the activity was immediately 

 reproduced by the agitation of the wires communicating with 

 t-lve poles of the pileT It was also remarked that the activity 

 of the pile was constantly stronger from mid-day till four 

 o'clock, w'hen it began to decline. On the 1 1 tli Fructidov 

 the apparatus was dismounted, after having been during 

 34 consecutive davs in action, and in an activity of disen- 

 gagement which may be considered as having been con- 

 tanuah The v/ater was then diminished by one-half its vo- 

 lume. It had lost nothing of its limpidity. The extremities 

 of the gold wire, from w hlch the disengagement of the gas 

 took place in the interior of the tube, were oxidated ; the 

 one corresponding with the zinc pole of the pile was most 

 oxidated. The whole of the gas obtained and collected 

 durincT the experiment vi'as about 793 cv^bic centimeters. 

 The liquid remaining in the tube was examined with care. 

 It produced no kind of taste upon the tongue, nor any action 

 on tinctures of turnsole and brazil-wood, nor with the 

 solution of nitrate of silver. 



The society proceeded afterwards to the trial of the gases 

 disengaged by the action of the pile. After having intro- 

 duced one measure of it into the eudiometer of Fontana, 

 they made pass into it an equal quantity of nitrous gas made 

 expressly for this experiment. There was an absorption of 77 

 two hundredth parts upon the volume of the two measures. 

 In order to ascertain if by this absorption all the oxygen the 

 gases contained had entered into combination, a second 

 measure of the same nitrous gas was introduced into the 

 eudiometer after this absorption. It experienced no dimi- 

 nution of volume. They tried to estimate by comparison 



3 



the 



