26 ELECTRO-CHEMISTRY. 



gases were sparingly given off from the respective 

 wires of the battery, the induced electricity of the 

 plate, consequent upon its distribution over so large 

 a surface, would be so attenuated, so low in inten- 

 sity and so small in quantity, at any one point of its 

 surface, that neither oxygen nor hydrogen would be 

 given off from the plate, and therefore when hydro- 

 gen was eliminated from the negative wire, oxygen 

 would not be given off from the surface of the plate 

 presented to that wire ; and also that oxygen when 

 eliminated from the positive wire, hydrogen would 

 not be given off from the surface of the plate pre- 

 sented to that wire ; and thus hydrogen might be 

 obtained from water without oxygen, and oxygen 

 from water without hydrogen. 



31. Since May, 1856, nearly two years ago, a 

 constant stream of hydrogen has been given off from 

 the negative wire of the battery, and also a constant 

 stream of oxygen from the positive wire ; but not a 

 bubble of gas, during all that time, has appeared 

 upon either surface of the platinum plate, or upon 

 the sides of the vessel. I have tested again and 

 again the gases which are collected in the tubes con- 

 tained in the glass vessel, and I find that it is 

 hydrogen which comes off from the negative, and 

 oxygen from the positive, wire of the battery, and 



