ly the Galvanic JDecoviposition of Water, 153 



the muriatic acid is concerned, is the same as that before 

 communicated ; but in this instance he has obtained a dif- 

 ferent aikah, — a kind of proof that the alkaUs, as has for 

 some time been suspected, are not essentially very difterent 

 from each other. 



Cambridge, June 4, 1805. 

 " SIR, 



'^ Acccording to my promise I send you another letter, 

 which I hope will be as favourably received as my last. 

 Permit me to rsay, I feel myself much indebted to vou for 

 your suggestions *, which have led me to the discovery I 

 now send you. 



" Having proceeded to the formation of water from its 

 elements, with which to repeat my former experiment, I 

 found, when the oxygen and hydrogen gases were quite 

 pure and exactly in due proportion, that no residuum of 

 air was left, and that the water formed was not m the 

 slightest degree acidulous. When the proces;s was not 

 conducted with great accuracy, or any precaution to have 

 it accurate was omitted, I then found the water acidulous, 

 and the acid that caused this acidity to be the nitric acid. 



" The acidulous water thus obtained I neutralized with 

 lime, from which I distilled the water, and this water I de- 

 composed by the Galvanic process, as in the experiment 

 detailed in iny former letter. 



" I did not imagine the using water so obtained could 

 make the least difl'ereiice on the result of the experiment ; 

 but as you had expressed a wish to have the trial made, I 

 again undertook thai interesting but very tedious labour. 



"■ When 7 came to examine the residuum, to my ijreat 

 astonishment I found that not muriate of soda hut muriate 

 of potash was produced ! 



*' 1 must own I feel myself entirely at a loss how to ac- 

 count for this, nor shall I attempt it. All I can say is, 

 that this, as well as my former experiment, was conducted 

 with the greatest care and accuracy that I could bestow. 

 Perhaps your, or some of your readers', superior sagacity 

 may furnish some hint that may lead to a satisfactory ex- 

 planation of the phaenomena. I am, &c, 



" To Mr. TilLoch. « W. Peel.'* 



Our readers, we are persuaded, will agree with Mr. Peel 

 in thinking the result, indeed, very singular. Some may, 

 perhaps, be inclined to believe there must have been sonic 



* Sec Note, vol. iJi. p. 280. 



mistake 



