with a Reply thereto by Prof. Daniell. 465 
viewed as the direct results of electro-chemical action, will, in their 
proportions, present nothing but confusion; but will appear per- 
fectly harmonious and simple, if they be considered as secondary re- 
sults, and will accord in their proportions with the oxygen and hy- 
drogen evolved from water by the action of a definite quantity of 
electricity.’ 
“85. I cannot conceive that in any point of view the complicated 
and ‘ confused’ results of the experiment of Daniell with electrolytes 
separated by membranes, are rendered more intelligible by supposing 
the existence of salt radicals. I canndt perceive that the idea that 
the anion in the sulphate is oxysulphion, makes the explanation 
more satisfactory than if we suppose it to be oxygen. Were a so- 
lution of copper subjected to electrolysis alone, if the oxide of 
copper were the primary object of the current, the result would be 
analogous to the case of sodium, excepting that the metal evolved at 
the cathode, not decomposing water, would appear in metallic form. 
If water be the primary object of attack, the evolution of copper 
would be a secondary effect. 
“86. It is remarkable, that after I had written the preceding in- 
terpretation of Daniell’s experiments, I met with the following de- 
ductions stated by Matteuchi as the result of an arduous series of 
experiments, without any reference to those of Daniell above men- 
tioned. It will be perceived that these deductions coincide perfectly 
with mine. 
“ 87. I subjoin a literal translation of the language of Matteuchi 
from the Annales de Chimie et de Physique, tom. Ixxiv. 1840, p. 110 :— 
«©« When salt, dissolved in water, is decomposed by the voltaic 
current, if the action of the current be confined to the salt, for each 
equivalent of water decomposed in the voltameter, there will be an 
equivalent of metal at the negative pole, and an equivalent of acid, 
plus an equivalent of oxygen, at the positive pole. The metal se- 
parated at the negative pole will be in the metallic state, or oxidized 
according to its nature. If oxidized, an equivalent of hydrogen will be 
simultaneously disengaged by the chemical decomposition of water.’ 
“ 88. Thus it seems that the appearance of acid and oxygen at 
the anode, and of alkali and hydrogen at the cathode, which has 
been considered as requiring the simultaneous decomposition of two 
electrolytes upon the heretofore received theory of salts, has, by 
Matteuchi, been found to be a result requiring the electrolysis of the 
metallic base only, and consequently to be perfectly reconcilable with 
that theory. 
“« 89. In fact I had, from the study of Faraday’s Researches, taken 
up the impression, that the separate appearance of an acid and base 
previously forming a salt, at the voltaic electrodes, was to be viewed 
as a secondary effect of the decomposition of the water or the base ; 
so that acids and bases were never the direct objects of electrolytic 
transfer.” 
In the first place I must thank Dr. Hare for the perfect 
courtesy with which he has striven ‘‘ to prove a friend to be 
in the wrong,” and giving him credit for feeling, as I do, that 
Phil. Mag. S. 3. Vol. 22, No. 147. June 1843. at 
