44 Prof. Schoenbein on the Voltaic Polarization 



carbonic acid or in one of any other gas which does not che- 

 mically act either upon hydrogen or oxygen. 



6. A platina wire '(in its natural state) assumes in every 

 respect the condition and voltaic bearings of a positively po- 

 larized wire by being plunged only for a few seconds into an 

 atmosphere of hydrogen. 



7. Gold and silver are not sensibly affected under the same 

 circumstances. 



8. x\ platina wire does not acquire any degree of electro- 

 motive power by being j)ut into oxygen gas : the metal re- 

 mains in its natural state. Neither is any degree of such 

 power acquired by gold or silver under the same circum- 

 stances. 



9. Platina, gold, and silvei', by being placed only for a h\v 

 seconds in an atmosphere of chlorine, assume the voltaic state 

 of a negatively polarized wire. 



10. Water slightly acidulated with sulphuric acid and 

 holding some hydrogen dissolved, bears to acidulated water 

 containing no hydrogen the same voltaic relation that zinc 

 does to copper ; provided, however, both fluids be separated 

 from each other by a membrane, and connected with the gal- 

 vanometer by means of platina wires. If for the latter pur- 

 pose (that is to say, for connecting the fluids with the galva- 

 nometer) gold or silver wires are made use of, the said fluids 

 do not excite the least current. 



11. Two fluids, one being acidulated water containing some 

 oxj'gen dissolved, the other being likewise acidulated water con- 

 taining no oxygen, appear to be in a voltaic point of view 

 perfectly indifferent to each other, whether they are con- 

 nected with the galvanometer by platina, silver, or gold wires . 



12. Water slightly acidulated with sulphuric acid and 

 holding some chlorine dissolved, bears to acidulated water not 

 containing any chlorine the same voltaic relation that copper 

 bears to zinc. In other terms, the former fluid acts under cer- 

 tain circumstances the electromotive part of the peroxides of 

 silver, lead, &c. 



13. The aqueous solution of hydrogen mentioned in §10, 

 loses its property to excite a current by being mixed with 

 a certain quantity of an aqueous solution of chlorine ; and, 

 vice versa, the latter fluid loses its electromotive power men- 

 tioned in the § 12 by being mixed with a sufficient quantity 

 of hydrogen dissolved in water. 



14. Muriatic acid positively polarized loses its peculiar vol- 

 taic condition by being mixed with some chlorine, and the 

 same acid being negatively polarized loses its polarity by be- 

 ing treated with some hydrogen. From the facts stated, and 



