AND SCHONBEIN 55 



means of phosphorus may be explained as follows : 



1. Electrical method of separation. Just as ordinary 

 electricity decomposes a series of gaseous hydrogen 

 compounds, especially in the presence of oxygen, so, 

 when it is discharged from a point into the air, it 

 determines the combination of the oxygen with the 

 hydrogen contained in the nitrogen and sets free the 

 ozone. If instead of nitrogen (i.e., hydrogen ozonide) 

 the atmosphere contained hydrogen chloride, the dis- 

 charge of electricity into the air would also produce a 

 smell, the feebler smell of chlorine; and, moreover, 

 the chemical actions which under these circumstances 

 the electrical brush would produce, would be quite 

 analogous to those which are actually observed. 



2. Voltaic mode of production. The nitrogen, that is 

 the hydrogen ozonide, dissolved in water is, like 

 hydrogen chloride, an electrolyte. It is decomposed 

 by the current, its hydrogen being set free at the 

 negative pole, and its ozone at the positive. Boiled 

 out water, i.e., water free from nitrogen, does not give 

 the smallest trace of ozone on electrolysis, but if 

 shaken with air or nitrogen, then on passing the 

 current, ozone is again set free at the positive pole. 

 Hitherto I have not been able to find anything at 

 the negative pole but hydrogen. I may mention 

 here that the presence in the water of the smallest 

 quantities of sulphurous acid, hydrogen sulphide, and 

 other substances, which for example would prevent 

 the electrolytic liberation of chlorine, also stop the 

 formation of ozone. Sometimes even distilled water 

 contains substances which prevent its formation, even 



