254 Oiservations and Experiments concerning 
attraction of the other begins. This new combination, if 
not permanent, ought at Ieast to be sustained while the 
causes continue to exert their mfluence. 
Let us apply these objections to the decomposition of 
water by Voltaic electricity. When the polar wires are 
immersed in a vessel of water, the positive wire attracts 
the negative oxygen, and repels the hydrogen; the negative 
wire attracts the positive hydrogen, and repels oxygen. 
During these repulsions, the negative oxygen and the posi- 
tive bydrogen must meet and unite, again forming water. 
There are also oxygen and hydrogen attracted to their se- 
parate poles. Here each must immediately acquire a state 
similar to that of the polar wire, in consequence of which 
each must be repelled; and the course of the gas during its 
repulsion must be directed by the attraction of the opposite 
pole. This repulsion taking place at each pole, the gases, 
oxygen and hydrogen, strongly electrical in different states, 
should in their attempts to cross, meet and unite; for their 
power of combination is considerably increased: and thus 
water should be recomposed. . 
But if by any ingenuity it can be shown, that they ought 
not to unite, it ultimately comes to this, that the gases 
will cross each other, and will pass to poles which, being in 
different states, will attract and afterwards repel them; and 
thus a continual series of attractions and repulsions will 
follow—precisely in the same manner asa suspended pith- 
ball will continue to play between two jars differently elec- 
trified, attracted to one, repelled from that and attracted to 
the other, so long as there remains contrariety of power in 
the jars. This example is applicable by a direct analogy. 
But whether the gas do or do not combine, a bubble ought 
never to be discharged in a sensible state. 
With a view to ascertain whether’or not water is recom- 
posed at the central point, as supposed by Mr. Davy*, 1 
made the following experiment. (See fig. 2.) 
A glass tube filled with dry powdered muriate of lime, 
through which passed a platina wire hermetically sealed at 
*« The oxygen of a portion of water is attracted by the positive surface, 
at the same time that the other constituent part, the hydrogen, is repelled 
by it;-and the opposite process takes place at the negative surface: and in 
the middie or neutral point of the circuit, whether there be a series of de- 
compositions and recompositions, or whether the particles from the extreme 
points only are active, there must be a new combination of the repelled 
matter, and the case is analogous to that of two portions of muriate of soda 
separated by distilled water; muriatic acid is repelled from the negative 
side, and soda from the positive side, and muriate of soda is composed ia 
the middle vessel.’— Davu's Bakertan Lecture. 
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