408 Memoir on vojious Combinations of Gold. 



fluid of another portion, than a salt should be decomposed by a 

 simple addition of its own acid or base. In fine, it is not philo- 

 sophical to suppose that either fluid can displace another por- 

 tion of itself, without having any more power to do so, than the 

 displaced fluid had to resist such a change. 



In defence of this principle it might be urged, that the superior 

 ])ower of the sparks thrown into the phial from tlie conductor 

 depends on their superior intensity. But beside a great many 

 other arguments that might be used, it must be observed that 

 the intensity of the spark which enters the inside, and that of 

 the tpark which leaves the outside, are supposed to be equal. 



Conclitsloit. 



I have concluded my statement of the principal objections 

 which I considered as applying to the doctrines of electricity at 

 present received. Upon either of the two preceding hypotheses 

 are founded all the explanations that have since been given of 

 electrical or Galvanic phasnomena ; and upon these also depend 

 the calculations that have been made by the celebrated philo- 

 sophers Cavendish and /Epimis. The task which I endeavoured 

 to accomplish was, to investigate whether or not the fundamental 

 principles of either of these systems would in a reasonable de- 

 gree be consistent with themselves and with phaenomena ; con- 

 ceiving, if they did not, that calculation was in vain, and that 

 all applications of them to modern discoveries ended but in de- 

 ception. Hypotheses are perhaps on the whole of no use: ex- 

 perimental researches seem to be rather encumbered than assisted 

 by them : and it is absurd that they should be retained wh.en 

 they are contradicted by the facts which ihey were intended to 

 explain. It were more conducive to improvement to relinquish 

 such suppositions and deceptive knowledge, and to banish with- 

 out respect to authority every thing that deviates from the stan- 

 dard of reason and experiment. 



LXIV. Memoir on varinns Combinations of Gold. 

 By M. Obeucampe*. 



xxLTHOUGH gold has long been a favourable object of chemical 

 research, yet its properties are perhaps as little known as those 

 of any other metal. Bergman and Lewis were the first who 

 threw some light on its history. Afterwards Proust, and latterly 

 Vauquelin, furnished new observations on this subject, but they 

 still left much to be desired. In fact, it was still doubtful 

 >vhetiier gold was susceptible cf being combined with sulphur j 



* Atifnaks (le Vkimitf No. 239. 



and 



