HYPOTHESIS OF TWO FLUIDS. 423 



the same under all circumstances? Is it not 

 owing to the attraction of metals for electricity, 

 that during the concretion of melted sulphur, 

 chocolate, calomel, and glacial phosphoric acid 

 from a state of vapour, in insulated metallic 

 vessels, the latter become electrified plus, and 

 the former minus? 



It was before stated, that the more oxidable 

 metal in the galvanic circle furnishes positive 

 electricity in relation to the less oxidible one, 

 which is in direct opposition to the theory of two 

 fluids. M. Becquerel regards it as a proof of 

 two galvanic fluids, that positive electricity per- 

 meates imperfect conductors more readily than 

 negative. But this is just what might be ex- 

 pected from the plus and minus conditions of the 

 same agent. In accordance with this view, it 

 has been found, that other things being equal, 

 the heating effect of voltaic electricity is in pro- 

 portion to its quantity, and that the heating 

 effect of positive electricity exceeds that of ne- 

 gative. 



It was maintained by Winterl, Oersted, Ber- 

 zelius, and at one time by Davy, that heat and 

 light were produced by the union of positive and 

 negative electricity. After what has been al- 

 and immersed in an acid solution, the zinc is oxidized, by which 

 electricity is disengaged, and passes to the silver, which is ren- 

 dered plus ; while the zinc, like the rubber from which the elec- 

 tricity proceeds, is negative. 



