100 M. Grotthuss on the [Fes. 
metal, of altering its electrical neutral point enormously. —(Rit- 
ter’s System.) * : 
Sect. 32.—The number which belongs to anthrazothionie acid, 
in Wollaston’s stochiometrical scale, will be obtained by deter- 
mining the quantity of acid, which contains as much hydrogen 
* I must notice, by the bye, that several electro-chemical statements of mine 
have been adopted by celebrated men, and even employed as the foundation of 
whole systems, without mentioning me as the original broacher of these views, 
Thus, for example, no one surely before me ascribed the light which is evolved 
during combustion to the union of the positive and negative electricity of the 
bodies acting upon each other, This I did in 1807.—(See Ann. de Chim. xiii. 34.) 
I pointed out in the same paper, p. 24, why the electricity set free by chemical 
action is not capable of acting sensibly on the electrometer. ‘Che galvanic decom- 
position of water, a desperate problem, which Monge, Berthollet, Davy, Berze- 
lius, have endeavoured in vain to explain (See Haiiy’s Traité de Physique, ii. 515 
and Essai de Stat. Chim, i, 216), I completely explained towards the end of 1805, 
and founded on it a theory, whichis so much supported by all analogous galvanical 
phenomena, that since that time it has been almost generally adopted. It must, 
therefore, appear surprizing to me that Berzelius, when in his excellent book 
entitled ‘‘ Elements of Chemistry,’ he employs my theory exactly for the 
explanation of the galvanic decomposition of water, never so much as men- 
tions the author of that theory; though he does so in every other similar case. 
En my first essay, I have assumed that water is a compound of one atom 
hydrogen and one atom oxygen, and given the following figure by way of 
illustration. p.-——" 5, eT aa 
ial), EBS Sa NE 
In my second essay, I presumed that water might be considered likewise as 
composed of two atoms oxygen and one atom hydrogen, and gaye the following 
figure in elucidation of the notion. mh Wo oh >a P, 
© GONEN® BONES © a ERO 
The figure which Berzelius gives, differs but little from both these; namely, 
MaTias At 3 5 On. But it is easy to see that this last is inaceurate; for as 
the direction of the stream is fromn to p, or the opposite way, and as water con- 
sists of only two atoms, the polarity of the elements of the water, which occasions 
the exchange, cannot be placed in rows perpendicular to each other as thus, 
n+ + + + p; but as in my first figure,p — + — + — +n. Inother respects, 
the fundamental idea is the same; namely, the simultaneous exchange of the ele- 
ments of the water with the decomposition. Biot in his Traité de Physique, ii. 508, 
while accounting for the galvanic decomposition of water, neither mentions me 
hor any one else; but he gives exactly my theory, and says, ‘‘ Il nes’est elevé 4 cet 
égard qu’une opinion, qui ait soutenu les regards de l’experience.” Favourable 
as this statement is for my theory, many a person, not much conversant with 
chemical literature, may be induced to believe from it that the opinion (as Biot 
terms it) has sprung up at once in the mind of Biot, and all other chemists, and 
that no one knows who first advanced it. I find myself, therefore, under the 
necessity of appealing to the public in this note. There is surely a great lack of 
chemical literature when a person expresses himself so indefinitely as Biot does 
in the passage quoted. (See likewise Thenard’s Traité de Chimie, i. 104; and Klap- 
roth and Wolf’s Dictionary, first supplement, p. 692.) 
It deserves attention, that I was very near Dalton’s discovery, respecting the 
weight of atoms, while I was employed about the galvanic decomposition of 
water. The 37th and 38th figure in Dalton’s System, vol. ii. plate 1, are quite the 
same as those that I gave long before in the Annales de Chimie (loco citato). But 
J acknowledge at the same time that the magnificent and bold idea of determining 
the weights of the atoms from the relative weights of the constituents of bodies did 
not occur to me. 
