18 Mr. G. Gore oti the Development of Di/namic Electricity. 



feeble action of neutral solutions, or those of weak acid or alka- 

 line properties, it is probable that by further experiment with 

 substances of greater purity, several exceptions will be found 

 amongst those examined. 



Delicacy of the Apparatus. 



83. To test the degree of delicacy of the foregoing apparatus 

 and method for detecting those supposed new pro])erties of acid 

 and alkivline liquids, I made the following experiments : — Took 

 4 ounces of distilled water and ^l: of a drachm of a mixture of 1 

 measure of pure and strong nitric acid and 16 measures of di- 

 stilled water, and mixed them together = a mixture of 1 measure 

 of strong nitric acid and 2192 measures of water; pre-boiled the 

 liquid ; hot platinum (/. e. at 208° F.) was decidedly negative to 

 cold platinum {i. e. at 60° F.) in it. Distinct acid reaction with 

 litmus -paper. Retried; same result. Now took i a drachm of 

 the liquid of this experiment and added to it 4 ounces of distilled 

 water = a mixture of 1 measure of strong nitric acid and 142480 

 measures of water; pre-boiled the liquid; the hot platinum was 

 still negative, but in an extremely feeble degree. The liquid 

 gave very faint acid reaction with test-paper. I now increased 

 the proportion of acid by adding a second half drachm of the 

 liquid of the previous experiment and retried ; the hot metal was 

 now negative in a greater degree, and the liquid gave distinct 

 acid reaction with litmus-paper. 



84. To test its delicacy with alkaline liquids, I took | a drachm 

 of a solution consisting of 4| ounces of water and 100 grains of 

 anhydrous potash, and added to it 4 ounces of pre-boiled distilled 

 water = to a mixture of 1 part of potash and 2914-4 parts of 

 water ; hot platinum was decidedly positive to cold platinum in 

 it, and test-paper exhibited weak alkalinity. I now added i a 

 drachm of the liquid of this experiment to 4 ounces of pre-boiled 

 distilled water = a mixture of 1 part of potash and 189500 parts 

 of water, and retried ; the hot metal was still decidedly positive, 

 though in a very feeble degree, and exhibited a more distinct 

 result than the weakest mixture of nitric acid. The liquid gave 

 no perceptible reaction with litmus-paper. It appears to me 

 quite likely, that, with an apparatus containing much larger 

 plates, these supposed new properties might be detected in water 

 containing much smaller proportions of acid or alkali than those 

 mentioned. I propose for the present to call the apparatus a 

 thermo-electro-liquid-examiner. 



General Inferences. 

 85. Having eliminated the various sources of interference, and 

 determined the influence of a number of circumstances upon the 



