HISTORY OF GALVANISM. 



atmosphere, or from water, they may acquire 

 that power by simple mechanical touch, as they 

 pass to new combinations." 



He then relates some experiments which he 

 performed, in order to observe the comparative 

 effect produced, by placing metals first in separate 

 vessels of water, then in the same vessels, but not 

 in contact; and lastly, in the same vessels, and 

 also in contact. In the two former cases there 

 was no change produced, while in the latter there 

 was a considerable degree of oxidation. He after- 

 wards entered upon some speculations on the 

 source of the oxygen, and he found that, by cover- 

 ing the water with a stratum of oil, and thus ex- 

 cluding the atmosphere, the process of oxidation 

 was retarded. This fact he adduces as a powerful 

 argument in favour of the chemical hypothesis. 

 He concludes, that the oxygen in these cases 

 cannot be derived from the water, because, were 

 the water decomposed, there would be a liberation 

 of hydrogen. The effect that is produced on the 

 senses of vision and of taste, he attributes to the 

 formation of new chemical compounds, which act 

 in a peculiar manner upon the organs ; an opinion 

 which may be true, to a certain extent, so far as 

 respects the tongue ; but it is not easy to conceive 

 how it could cause the flash of light which is ex- 

 cited in the eye by the contact of the metals.* 



Fabroni's paper did not appear to excite much 



* Journal de Physique, xlix. 318. 



