90 On the Hypotheses of Galvanism. ' [Feb. 



genated, and the whole of that in the negative wire oxygenated. 

 If, then, we were to place any substance in the hydrogenated water 

 whicii had an attraction for hydrogen, a union should take place, 

 an ett'ect with which the repelling force of the positive wire would 

 co-operate. In this case the particle of oxygen rej)elled from the 

 other wire, not meeting with any hydrogen, must in some way or 

 other be discharged from the oxygenated water. It does not, 

 however, appear that any facts of tliis kind have ever been ob- 

 served ; on the contrary, the water does not seem to possess any 

 difference of chemical composition in -its different parts, except 

 immediately about the extremities of the wires. {Fig. 6.) 



Fig. 6. 



B 



Tliis view of the nature of the two hypotheses leads me to the 

 conclusion, that the former of tliem is more simple and consistent 

 in its different parts, and that it is free from some difficulties which 

 attacii to the latter. 



The evidence for the truth of the electrical hypothesis is in some 

 degree connected with the views which have iieen lately taken by 

 Sir H. Davy respecting the connection between electricity and 

 cliemical affinity ; it may be proper, tlierefore, to consider the 

 grounds upon wliich these opinions rest, and also to inquire how 

 far they affect the present question. Kesinger and Berzelius seem 

 first to have distinctly pointed out the effect which the two extre- 

 mities of the pile possess of attracting to themselves different kinds 

 of substances; and Sir H. Davy afterwards, in a series of very 

 elaborate experiments, showed, that this action was so powerful as 

 apparently to counteract the usual effects of chemical affinity. Not 

 only was a solution of a neutral salt, iu which the two vyires termi- 

 nated, decomposed, and the acid attracted to the positive, and the 

 alkali or metallic ingredient to the negative wire ; but the wires 

 seemed even to pos^-ess the power of attaching to themselves the 

 acid and tlic alkali, when other substances intervened, to which 

 they each had a strong affinity. These effects were attributed to 

 the attraction of the positive wire for substances containing oxygen, 

 and of the negative wire for those that contained hydrogen or any 

 other inflammable ingredient; and Sir H. Davy was induced to 

 infer, that the former class of bodies were naturally in a negative 

 state of electricity, and the latter in a positive state. This conclu- 

 sion, with respect to the natural electrical condition of these two 



