430 A Comparison of the Old and New Theories [Junn, 
the same cause as in electrical discharges. I need not here state 
the great number of facts, which have obliged us to give up the 
old opinions and adopt the new, as they must be known to all 
those who have followed the progress of the science. 
Fire, according to this theory, is produced by the neutralizing of 
the opposite electro-chemical states of the bodies entering into 
combination ; and it is put beyond all doubt by experiments that 
the more opposite the state of electricity between two bodies is, the 
more intense is the appearance of fire when they combine. When, 
therefore, two bodies, A and 6B, are united, and a third, C, is 
presented capable of neutralizing the electro-chemical state of A 
more completely than B can; then B will be displaced by C with 
an increase of temperature, because the new and more complete 
electro-chemical neutralization always produces an increase of tem- 
perature. Thus gold and silver unite very weakly tooxygen. Hence 
it may be conjectured that when they combine with it only a very 
small increase of temperature is produced. When the oxides of 
these metals are reduced by potassium or hydrogen, or iron or 
charcoal, fire always makes its appearance, 
Observations show us that bodies which have no great opposition 
in their electro-chemical properties, those, namely, which have 
only weak affinity for each other, are capable of combining only in 
very low temperatures, and are again decomposed in higher tem- 
peratures. On the other hand, it is very common to find bodies 
which have a stronger affinity for each other combining only in 
high temperatures. In low temperatures bodies usually obey weak 
affinities, and the compounds produced are decomposed in higher 
temperatures with greater or lesser rapidity, because then stronger 
affinities act; and when there is a very great difference in the 
degrees of the uniting and decomposing affinities, the decomposi- 
tion is attended with the appearance of fire, and with an explosion. 
We see from this why fu/minating silver, fulminating gold, &c. 
exist in a given temperature, and in another temperature are de 
composed of themselves with an explosion, and the appearance of 
fire, The affinities which give existence to fulminating silver are 
those of hydrogen to azote,* of silver to oxygen, and of ammonia 
to oxide of silver. Each of these is weak, and is destroyed in a 
higher temperature. Hence it follows that fulminating silver must 
be destroyed at a high temperature. But it will be asked how this 
decomposition takes place in a low temperature, why fire is pro- 
duced, and whence proceeds the dreadful violence of the decompo-- 
sition? All these proceed from the burning of the hydrogen at the 
expense of the oxygen in the oxide of silver, or from the more 
complete electro-chemical neutralization of the oxygen’ and 
hydrogen in water than in fulminating silver. 
We learn from satisfactory experiments that, when two bodies of 
opposite electro-chemical properties act upon each other, an elec- 
* Not to puzzle the reader with too many little known theoretical views, © 
here set aside the probably accurate opinion that azote is a suboxide of nitricum. 
