80 HISTORY OF GALVANISM. 



their operations in the application of galvanic elec- 

 tricity to the decomposition of bodies, made many 

 important experiments, and brought to light many 

 new facts. The general result was, to afford an 

 ample confirmation of the statements of our illus- 

 trious countryman in their most important parts, 

 although in some particulars they regarded the 

 subject in a different point of view, both as to the 

 mode of accounting for the effects, and the con- 

 sequences which they deduced from them. These 

 discussions, as well as the many new and inte- 

 resting experiments connected with them, which 

 have completely changed the aspect of many 

 branches of chemistry, and have enlarged our 

 knowledge of the nature of bodies far beyond its 

 former limits, it does not belong to my present 

 subject to detail. It will be proper, however, to 

 notice some of the observations that were made 

 by Gay-Lussac and Thenard, on what strictly 

 belongs to galvanism, reserving the consideration 

 of the hypothetical opinions to the second division 

 of the essay. 



Gay-Lm- These sagacious experimentalists point out a 

 distinction, which had not been sufficiently at- 



Bended to, between the electrical and the chemical 

 Difference energy of the pile; actions which are essentially 

 the"iecfri- dissimilar, and which do not exist in the same 

 chemical ratio - Tne 7 state > tnat a comparatively few 

 action. plates, with acid interposed between them, will 

 decompose the alkalies ; while a greater number, 

 with water instead of acid, will not produce this 



