Formation of muriatic Acidly Galvanism. 179 



Surgical Journal, published on the 1st of July, to which 

 was subjoined the tbllovving 



" POSTSCRIPT, 



" Containing an Account of the Discovery of the Com- 

 position of Muriatic Acid. By Professor Pacchioni, of 

 Pisa. 



'' Since this huinber of our journal was completed, and 

 indeed part of the impression sent to London, we have re- 

 ceived a latter, dated 15th May 1805, from our valuable 

 and eminent correspondent Fabbroni, of Florence, in which 

 he says, '" a brilliant discovery has been made by one of 

 my friends. I have inclosed an account of it, which you 

 will transmit to mv respectable and dear friend Kirwan, 

 after having communicated it to the philosophers of your 

 country through the medium of your journal." We there- 

 fore gladly take this means, though somewhat irregular, of 

 complving with his request, and of giving to our readers 

 the earliest possible notice of the discovery alluded to. 



*' Letter of Dr. Francis Pacchioni, Professor of Philo- 

 sophy in the University of Pisa, to Laurence Pignotti, 

 Historiographer to the King. 



" To you, my much respected friend, both on account of 

 the spontaneous impulse of innate kindness with which you 

 deigned to take so much care of my talents, such as they are, 

 as to receive me among the number of your pupils, and on 

 account of your having paved the way for my obtaining that 

 verv chair which was filled by you for many years with so 

 much applause and honour to our country, rather than to 

 any other person, shall I give an account of a dis-^overy 

 which I have made and satisfactorily verified. But these 

 are not the only reasons by which my conduct is influenced. 

 I wish, at the same time, to show my gratitude towards you, 

 and to give you a proof that I am endeavouring to render 

 myself more worthy of your esteem and friendship. 



" It is perfectly known to you that, since last year, on 

 account of the premiums proposed by that excellent general 

 and philosopher Bonaparte, emperor of the French, for the 

 advancement of that new and fertile branch of experimental 

 philosophy discovered by the celebrated professor of Bologna, 

 Galvani, and afterwards wonderfully extended by the sub- 

 lime genius ofVolta, I have contrived a great number of 

 expermients, which I have performed with muc^care, and 

 almost completed. These experiments have revealed to me 

 puny facts, whiuh I am collect'ng for a memoir to be pre- 

 - M 2 seated 



