140 THEORY OF GALVANISM. 



and the alkali or metal to the negative wire ; but 

 the wires seemed even to possess the power of 

 attaching to themselves the acid and the alkali, 

 when other substances intervened to which they 

 each had a strong affinity. These effects were 

 attributed to the attraction of the positive wire for 

 substances containing oxygen, and of the negative 

 wire for those that contained hydrogen, or any 

 other inflammable ingredient, and Sir H. Davy 

 was induced to infer, that the former class of 

 bodies were naturally in a negative state of elec- 

 tricity, and the latter in a positive state. This 

 conclusion respecting the natural electrical condi- 

 tion of these two classes of bodies he afterwards 

 attempted to substantiate by more direct experi- 

 ments, in which the electrometer indicated the 

 negative electricity, after being in contact with 

 acids, and the positive after being in contact with 

 alkalies.* 



proofs of Two distant sets of facts and experiments have 

 tion. 6 ' been brought into view, those respecting the de- 

 composition and transfer of acids and alkalies by 

 the two extremities of the pile, and those to which 

 the electrometer was applied; it is to the former 

 of these only that the present question has any 

 reference. Before we can form a correct judg- 

 ment concerning them, it will be necessary to 

 attend a little more minutely than has hitherto 



* Phil. Trans, ubi supra; and Elements of Chemical Phil, 

 p. 158, et seq. 



