NOMOS. 45 



though the expression of them may be rendered a 

 little more complicated by the introduction of 

 secondary changes. In short, there is nothing in 

 the theory of the galvanic circuit which may not be 

 reduced to the chemical hypothesis. 



But, it may be asked, are not the forces concerned 

 in the galvanic circuit of far higher intensity than 

 ordinary chemical forces ? Are they not proved to 

 be of far higher intensity by the fact that 

 a plate of amalgamated zinc and another The forces 

 of platinum may be immersed in hydro- 

 chloric acid without any sign of chemical 

 action, so long as the plates are kept 

 apart; but that active decompositions forces - 

 begin the moment they are brought into 

 contact ? There is no doubt that this is the case ; 

 but there is no reason, as Dr. Graham has shown, 

 for calling in other than chemical forces to explain 

 the phenomena. Suppose this case. Let a plate 

 of amalgamated zinc and a plate of platinum be 

 immersed in hydrochloric acid, and arranged in such 

 a way that the two metals do not touch each other 

 directly. Under these circumstances, the chlorine, 

 cZ', of the hydrochloric acid, ncZ', and the negative 

 zinc element, zn, of the zinc molecule, znzn', have 

 very strong mutual tendencies to combine and 

 form a molecule of chloride of zinc, cZ' zn; but 

 these tendencies are not strong enough to rupture 

 the ties which bind the chlorine to the hydrogen in 

 hydrochloric acid, and the negative zinc element to 



