' 'Experiments in Gahjanlc EleSricitjy. 34^5 



fervjlble, but no folution of the platina. When the tube 

 was filled with a folution of muriat of foda, a nilro-inu- 

 riatic acid was likewife produced* 



Mr. Cruicklhank from thefe experiments draws the fol- 

 lowing conclufions : 



*' I. That hydrogen gas, mixed with a very fmall pro- 

 portion of oxygen and ammonia, is foraehow difengaged at 

 the wire connected with the filver extremity of the machine; 

 and that this effeft is equally produced, whatever the nature 

 of the metallic wire may bcj provided the fluid operated upon 

 be pure water. 



" 2. That where metallic folutions are employed inftead 

 of water, the fame wire which feparates the hydrogen re- 

 vives the metallic calx, and depofits it at the extremity of 

 the wire in its pure metallic (late; in this cafe no hydrogen 

 gas is difengaged. The wire employed for this purpofe may 

 be of any metal. 



" 3. That of the earthy folutionSj thofe of magnefia and 

 argill only are decompofed by the filver wire; a circumftance 

 which ftrongly favours the produftion of ammonia. 



*' 4. That when the wire connefted with the zinc extre- 

 mity of the pile confifts either of gold or platina, a quantity 

 of oxygen gas, mixed with a little azot and nitrous acid, is 

 difengaged ; and the quantity of gas thus obtained is a little 

 better than one-third of the hydrogen gas feparated by the 

 filver wire at the fame time. 



*' 5. That when the wireconnefted with the zinc is filver, 

 or any of the imperfect metals, a fmall portion of the oxy- 

 genous gas is likewife given out, but the wire ilfelf is either 

 oxydaied or dilfolvedjOr partly oxydated and partly diiiblved : 

 indeed, theeffed in this cafe, produced upon the metal, is very 

 fimilar to that of the concentrated nitrous acid, where a great 

 deal of the metal is oXydated, and but a fmall quantity held 

 in folution*. 



• The great diifutcncc in the cffcft produced by this influence on gold 

 and filver, which have always beth t'onfidercd ai cijually difficult to 

 oxydate, can only be explained on the fuppofuion, that nitrotjs acid is ge- 

 nerated ; for this aciJ, it is well known, atts powerfully on filver, but has 

 no a£lion whatever on jjuld. The fame obfeiyation applies to platina. 



Vot. \ll y y "6. That 



