VOLTAIC ACTION OF PHOSPHORUS, ETC. 293 



The phosphorus has consequently lost O'I2 grain, the 

 iodine 1-3. Assuming that the phosphorus consumed 3 equi- 

 valents of oxygen, as in experiments (33), (34), (35) (37), 

 we should have 3 equivalents of hydrogen eliminated, and 

 consequently 3 of iodine consumed, or 



31-4 : 126-6 ::cri2 : 0-48 

 0-48x3= 1-44. 



The result is tolerably near, but from the iodine vapour in 

 solution an excess and not a deficit in the consumption of this 

 was to have been expected. 



(41.) It was necessary for my own satisfaction to make a 

 great number of other experiments for the purpose of check- 

 ing and eliminating any adventitious results which might pos- 

 sibly interfere with the actual voltaic action of the gas battery, 

 such as placing phosphorus in single tubes containing the 

 different gases, but with platinum foil and without associated 

 tubes, others without the platinum foil or associated tubes ; 

 but as these had no influence on the results, and were merely 

 used as tests for my own satisfaction, it would be useless and 

 tedious to detail them. 



(42.) Having examined the action of phosphorus in the 

 gas battery under these various circumstances, my next step 

 was to ascertain if any other substance produced a similar 

 effect. Sulphur, the nearest analogue of phosphorus, was the 

 body which naturally presented itself, but from its different 

 characteristics required a different mode of manipu- Fig. i. 

 lation. The following was adopted. Into a little p\ 

 capsule of glass, having a long solid leg (see fig. i), 

 was placed a small piece of solid sulphur ; this was 

 held in the large aperture of a gas battery cell, while 

 the tube was passed carefully over it ; the platinum 

 in this tube was connected with the zinc of a single 

 cell of the nitric acid battery, while an anode of 

 platinum was placed in the liquid through the central 

 aperture ; by this means all the oxygen of the 

 atmospheric air was exhausted, and the surplus 

 hydrogen was in turn taken away by connection with the 

 associated tube charged with oxygen ; the same effect 

 might have been more slowly produced by the process 



