Chemko-Galvanic Ohservations. 5y 



*itively galvanized, as well as that which we have men- 

 tioned, is converted afterwards into the oxygenated acid by 

 the oxygen generated during the process. This is an expe- 

 riment often repeated by the author, and always with suc- 

 cess. 



Pacchiani was the first in Italy who obtained muriatic acid 

 upon galvanizing with gold wires pure distilled water, aker 

 the manner of Simon : but this waler, being always in con- 

 tact with animal or vegetable matter in the apparatus, it was 

 supposed that these substances had some share in this pro- 

 duction. Several chemists also believed that the muriatic 

 acid procured by Cruickshank and Brugnatelli from the sor 

 lution of muriates was not a new formation, but proceeded 

 from a partial decomposition of these saline substances. la 

 order to settle the dispute, the author galvanized with very 

 fine gold wires distilled water, which had no connect] 

 whatever with any vegetable or animal substances, or any 

 muriate. His apparatus was a simple glass tube closed at 

 bottom and rilled with distilled water, in which was inserted 

 a very fine wire of pure gold (a very essential requisite), or 

 platina, placed in contact with the positive pole of a pile. 

 The circuit was completed by another tube, bent, four lines 

 in diameter, equally full of distilled water, and which passed 

 from the tube in which the gold wire was inserted into a dish 

 full of water, which was placed in coram uaication with the 

 iiesrative pole by means of a strip of tin, or o7 caoutchouc 

 softened in warm water. 



In the first experiment made with this apparatus, the 

 water galvanized for some hours reddened the blue tinctures 

 Strongly; but the most sensible metallic re- agents did not 

 affect them, and consequently did not indicate, by any cer- 

 tain sign, the presence of the muriatic acid. 



The author tried to carry up his pile to a hundred pair of 

 disks of two inches, whereas it was only fifty before; he 

 submitted to this new apparatus distilled water contained in 

 tubes a little larger than a large writing-quill, and two inches 

 long, by employing wires of very pure gold, which he pre- 

 pared expressly for the purpose ; he then ascertained that 

 the acid obtained without the intervention of any organical 



substance 



