On the Composition of the Muriatic Acid. . 179 



pass and seal it up with wax ; then fill the tube with di- 

 stilled water, and place in it two or three layers of white 

 linen moistened ; seal it up by fixing the linen to the ex- 

 tremity of the tube. Plunge the tube by this last extremity 

 into a vessel containing very pure water. By means of se- 

 veral moistened slips of spongy paper make the water of this 

 vessel communicate with the negative pole of a column 

 sufficiently energetic; and, finally, make the gold or platina 

 wire communicate with the positive pole of the electrical 

 column. The energy of this column being proportioned to 

 the number of pairs of metallic plates, to their state, and to 

 that of the humid conductors, would be, as is well known, 

 proportioned to the capacity of the tube \*hich contains the- 

 water under experiment. As soon as the circle is completed, 

 it will establish an uninterrupted circulation, and by^ this 

 means the water will gradually clear itself of oxygen, passing 

 it oflf by the wire of gold or platina. 



This astonishing change of water into oxygenated muriatic 

 acid creates an agreeable surprise in the mind : Felix qid 

 potuit rei'um cognoscere caiisas. After having resolved this 

 important problem, I proposed another to myself, wliich 

 was as follows : 



A volume of water, distilled and freed, as ttiuch as possible 

 from air, being given, it is proposed to extract the hydrogen 

 from it. 



Sphitioti. 



Take a glass tube with two orifices, the one straight anil 

 without any sharp edge, the other with a stopper, and of a 

 diameter sufficient to introduce the distilled water without 

 trouble. Introduce through the smallest orifice a wire of 

 gold, platina, or other metal, and seal it hermetically with 

 wax. Fill this tube with distilled water freed from air, close 

 the other orifice with fine linen moistened with water folded 

 three or four times ; pkmge the tube on the side of this 

 second orifice into a vessel cotilaining pure water j plunge 

 into this water slips of spongy paper which communicate 

 by the other extremity to the positive pole of the electrical 

 pile. Finally, make the metallic wire communicate with 

 the negative |)oIe of this same pile. This being dore, a 

 M 8 circulatioa 



