66 Chemico- Galvanic Observations. 



the pile under the form of an efflorescence; he repeated the 

 experiment with a pile of a hundred pairs of very good 

 metallic disks, separated hy small rounds of pasteboard mois- 

 tened with pure water. This pile not seeming active enough, 

 he steeped the disks of pasteboard in a solution of sulphate 

 of magnesia (Epsom salt); the decomposition of the water 

 succeeded then vcrv well, and the alkali produced was again 

 s.oda. 



As muriatic acid was formed bv galvanizing water by the 

 positive pole, and soda by the negative pole, the author flat- 

 tered himself that by plunging in the same pure water two 1 

 gold wires (each of which operated in its own way, i.e. the 

 one negatively and the other positively), bv means of the 

 action of a strong pile of a hundred pair?, he could obtain 

 common salt; but although, in consequence of a Galvanic 

 action thus established and continued for two days, the 

 water had considerably diminished, not the least change was 

 observed, as had been already remarked by Pacchiani. There 

 was no peculiar smell or taste, no effect upon blue tinc- 

 tures, no precipitate in metallic solutions ; and, upon eva- 

 poration, not an atom of any salt whatever. 



But after having galvanized several times, both negativelv 

 and positively, a certain quantity of pure water with gold 

 wires inserted in separate tubes, until there-agents gave un- 

 equivocal signs of the production of the acid on one part, 

 and of alkali on the other, the two liquids mixed to perfect 

 saturation, and evaporated in the air, always gave cubical 

 crystallized muriate of soda. No doubt, therefore, remains 

 with the author, that water, negatively and positively gal- 

 vanized by gold wires, produces or disengages muriatic acid 

 in the one case, and soda in the other. But he observes y 

 that the formation of the alkali by the effect of the negative 

 pole of the pile is quicker and more abundant than the 

 formation of the acid by the influence of the opposite. 



[To be continued.] 



K. yew 



