the Nature of the Gaz produced by pqfflng Ekclric Difcharges tlreugh JFotrr. 303 



bably took place in this procefs by the kindling of bubbles of gaz in their afcent through 

 the water. I now perceived that the difcharges ought to be produced more flowly, or the 

 tubes to be wider, to allow the bubbles to pafs quite through the water, in order to avoid 

 the afcenfion of gaz during the procefs. My calculation, alfo, that 35 to 40,000 difcharges 

 were requifite to produce one cubical inch of gaz from water containing its ufual quantity 

 of common air, was .rendered much more vague by this afcenfion, fo often liable to be 

 occafioned. 



To the gaz which remained in the tube in this experiment was added an equal bulk of 

 nitrous gaz ; the mixture diminilhed to 1,5 ; and on adding to the.refidue half its bulk of 

 oxygen gaz, and palTmg through it the eledlrical fpark, no accenfion or diminution of bulk 

 was produced. Hence all the hydrogen gaz and oxygen gaz, produced by the decompo- 

 Ction of the water, had been burnt during the procefs ; the oxygen gaz thus detedled being 

 eonfidered to be only that expelled from the water. 



Experiment IV. By means of eleclrical difcharges with the apparatus ufed in the pre- 

 ceding experiment, I obtained gaz from New-River water, letting it up into a refervoir, 

 as foon as about i-20th of a cubic inch was produced, till I had colle£led i-8th of a cubic 

 inch. To this was added an equal bulk of nitrous gaz, on which the mixture diminifhed 

 to 1,2; and on the addition of a little more nitrous gaz, no further diminution took place. 

 To this refidue half its bulk -of oxygen was added ; and this mixture of gazes being well 

 dried, by Handing over lime and boiled quickfilver, an ele£lric fpark was palTed through 

 it, by which a diminution of one-fixth of its bulk took place. A little dew was then feen 

 upon the fides of the tube where the quickfilver had rifen ; and with tlie aid of a lens the 

 fame appearance was perceived on the part of the tube containing the refidue of gaz. 



It may now be expedled, that I fliould have made the experiment with this apparatus on 

 diftilled water, freed from its air, not only by long boiling or the air pump, but by fending 

 through it feveral hundred eleftrical difcharges. It would alfo have been, to fome perfons, 

 more fatisfaftory, if the experiment had been made upon a larger fcale, fo as to have pro- 

 duced the combuftion of a much larger quantity of gaz, and confequently have produced a 

 greater quantity of water. As, however, I apprehend, the experiments contained in this 

 paper, when well eonfidered by competent judges, will be found to explain the nature of the 

 gaz procured from water by electric difcharges ; and as another very important fubjeft de- 

 mands my attention, the honour of more fplendid and convincing experiments muft be re- 

 ferved for other enquirers. If the fame facrifices be made by them, as have been made in 

 performing the prefent experiments, I think it is fcarcely poflible but that ftiil further light 

 concerning the compofition of water fhould be procured, as well as concerning oils, akohol, 

 acids, &c. ; to the invefligation of the compofition of which, the mode of analyfis and fyn- 

 thefis here indicated may be applied. 



SECTION III. 



On the Mode of ASion of Ele^ric Sifiharges. 



THE mere concufTion by the clecflric difcharges, appear.i to extricate not only the air dif- 

 folved in water, which can be feparated from it by boiling and the air pump, but alfo that 



which 



