Phenomenon manifested in the Sugar-Cane. 120. 



electrical explosions passed through it. In this way, the 

 salubrious atmosphere may be converted into corrosive 

 aquafortis. When a little hydrogen is introduced into the 

 mixed gases, standing over water, the chemical agency of 

 electricity becomes more intense and the nitric acid is more 

 rapidly formed from their elements.* 



Again, Bischof explains himself on the point in this man- 

 ner. «If an electric spark be passed through a mixture of 

 ammonia and oxygen, a quantity of nitric acid is formed 

 though the oxygen be not sufficient to oxydise all the am- 

 monia.)) Hence we can suppose, that in the air the am- 

 moniac disengaged from animal matter in decomposition, 

 or from any other source, must be decomposed by atmos- 

 pheric electricity, at that at the same moment a large 

 amount of nitric acid must necessarily be generated, at the 

 expense of the nitrogen, from the ammonia itself. 



« When electric sparks are passed in succession through 

 common air, nitric acid is slowly, though sensibly, generated. 

 The electric currents, which in nature traverse Uie atmos- 

 phere, must produce the same effect, and the passage of 

 each flash of lightning through the air must generate some 

 portion of this acid.» Liebig has thus noticed, that during 

 saventeen storms, he has invariably found nitric acid com- 

 bined with ammonia and lime in the rain-water; that in 

 sixty other circumstances of rain without storms, he only 

 twice discovered this acid. He observes further on, that it 

 is difficult to determine a small quantity of nitric acid; how 

 much nitric acid must then necessarily be formed in cold 

 climates during storms to enable one to appreciate its quan- 

 tity in every shower of rain. The same author hence con 

 eludes how great mu»t be the quantity of the same acid 



