joo Expeiimdits and 0(f,'trviit-cii} made with ths Viiw of afcertaining 



B. The experiment A being repeated fcveral times with diftiiled, and New River w.-.ter^ 

 freed from air by the air pump or long boi!i:ijr, the quantity of gaz juft mentioned was ob- 

 tained in about four hours. 



On paffing an elc£lri.c fpark through this gaz in the fituation above mentioned, its bulk 

 vas inftantly diminiflied in fome cafes l5-i6lhs, and in others ig-zcths. 



C. 1600 interrupted difchargcs, by means of a 32 inch plate machine, produced from 

 New River water, and diftilkd water, freed from their air by the air pump, a column of 

 ga?., about 3-4'1's "^ an inch in length and i-9th of an inch in diameter, in the fpace of three 

 hours. It was reduced in bulk ip-icths by palTuig through it a fingle clc£lrical fpark. 



D. 500 revolutions of the 32 inch plate machine, in three quarters of an hour, produced 

 600 interrupted difcharges in river water freed froni air by the air pump, by which a 

 column of "az, half an inch in length and i-ioth of an inch in diameter, was obtained. It 

 was diminiflied as ufual by an eleftric fpark ig-zoths of its bulk. 



E. Nearly four days incefTant labour with the 32 inch machine produced only 56,5488 

 cubes of gaz, of i-icth of an inch each, on account of the ufual accidents during the pro- 

 cefs. The air had been exhaufted by fitting the water under the receiver of the air pump. 



F. It was found that 6oco interrupted difcharges produced about three inches in length 

 of caz, meafured in a tube 3-2cths of an inch in width from water out of which its air had 

 been drawn by the air pump. 



G. It appeared from many experiments, that the fame unboiled water, or water from 

 which the air had not been exhaufted by the air pump, which had repeatedly yielded 

 gaz by paffing through it electrical difcharges, always left a refidue of gaz which the elec- 

 trical fpark did not diminifli ; and this refidue was in nearly the fame quantity after fix or 

 feven experiments, each of which afforded a column of gaz half an inch in length and i-gth 

 of an inch in diameter, as was left on paffing the eleiflric fpark through the gaz afforded 

 by the third or fourth experiment. 



Hence it feems that water is decompounded by the eleflric difcharge, before the whole 

 ef the common or atmofpherical air is detached from the water by merely the impulfe of 

 each difcharge. Yet I think it probable that, after the difcharges have been pafled through 

 the fame water for a certain time, the whole of the air contained in water will be expelled, 

 and no gaz be produced, but that compounded by means of the electric fire from water ; in 

 which cafe, fuppofing the gaz fo produced to be at leafl: merely hydrogen and oxygen gaz, 

 it will totally difappear on palling through it an electrical fpark. But I have never been able 

 to determine this point, becaufe the tubes were always broken after obtaining a few products, 

 or long before it could reafon.ibly be fuppofed the whole of the air of the water was ex- 

 pelled from it. 



H. To the gaz obtained in the experiment E was added, over water, an equal bulk of 

 almoft pure nitrous gaz. Fumes of nitrous acid appeared, and the {^z examined was re- 

 duced almoft one-third of its bulk. i\ fmall bubble more of nitrous gaz being let up, no 

 further diminution took place. To this refidue was added half its bulk of oxygen gaz, ob- 

 tained from oxy-muriate of pot-afli. This mixture of gazes having itood fevcral days over 

 well burnt lime and boiled quickfilv ^ an elcftric fpark was pafTed through the mixture ever 

 quickfilver, by which its buik was in;tantly diminifhed one-fourth. But no moilture could 

 be perceived upon the Wes of the tube or on the quickfilver. The failure of the appearance 



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