4-8 Prof. Connel's Additional Observations 



ary action, although under particular arrangements it sepa- 

 rates and becomes visible ; — I showed that the galvanic agency 

 was greatly increased by dissolving minute quantities of potash 

 in the alcohol, so small a quantity as yo^no^h part having a 

 decided influence ; this effect being, as 1 conceived, due to an 

 increased conducting power of the liquid, and to the disposing 

 affinity of the potash for the products of the secondary action 

 of the oxygen. Notwithstanding the very insignificant quantity 

 of the dissolved alkali which was capable of producing this 

 result, and the circumstance that the voltaic decomposition 

 took place without its aid, as well as by adding saline substan- 

 ces which do not contain water, and that the quantity of hy- 

 drogen collected greatly exceeded that contained in the water 

 of the dissolved potash, it was objected in more than one 

 quarter, that the increase of effect was due to the water of the 

 hydrate of potash employed. It afterwards occurred to me 

 that every cavil might be obviated by employing small quan- 

 tities of i)otassium instead of potash. It is known that when 

 potassium is dissolved in alcohol, it is oxidated with evolution 

 of hydrogen; and when the solution is carried to saturation, 

 a solid compound is obtained of anhydrous potash and aether. 

 Hence, if a minute portion of potassium is dissolved in ab- 

 solute alcohol, a corresponding quantity of anhydrous potash 

 will remain in solution; and thus we can increase the proportion 

 of the dissolved body as we think proper without the fear of 

 adding water. Accordingly, it v/as found that minute quan- 

 tities of potassium had precisely the same effect as minute 

 quantities of potash in promoting the voltaic agency. The 

 quantities of elastic fluid collected in such experiments are 

 necessarily small, because a considerable electric action is 

 required; and when we carry the power beyond a certain 

 point, the action is so violent that the liquid is thrown into 

 ebullition, and the foils are soon left bare. 



About a drachm of alcohol (sp. gr. -7918, at 66° F.), with a 

 quantity of potassium dissolved, equivalent to 2^77 of anhydrous 

 potash, yielded, under the action of seventy-two pairs of four- 

 inch plates, 0"8 cubic inch of hydrogen from the negative pole 

 in 1'' S""; and when the dissolved anhydrous potash was y^y, 

 0'99cubicinch were obtained inthesame time. In these experi- 

 ments the greatest energy of the battery was not brought into 

 action, as is done by placing the platinum foils parallel to one 

 another. Their extremities were simply approached to one 

 another in the alcohol. After an hour's action the evolution 

 ofgas slackened considerably; so that after two and a half hours' 

 action, the quantity collected was about ly cubic inch fropi 

 the beginning. But by re-charging the battery, and adding 



