354 MR. GROVE ON THE GAS VOLTAIC BATTERY. 



The result of the above experiments gives, I believe, the first instance of the em- 

 ployment of a solid, insoluble non-conductor as the excitant of a continuous voltaic 

 current ; it proves that the existence of diffused phosphorus in nitrogen, as noticed 

 by the old experimentalists, is not a consequence, as was once believed, of a partial 

 combustion, but of an effusion continuing as long as the previously diffused phos- 

 phorus is abstracted, and it gives the very curious result of a true combustion, the 

 combustible and the ' comhurant' being at a distance ; phosphorus burned by oxygen 

 which is separated from it by strata both of water and gas, of an indefinite length. 

 This result, arrived at by a progressive series of inductions, scarcely now appears ex- 

 traordinary, but would have been in all probability listened to with incredulity if simply 

 stated as a fact a few years ago. By the galvanometer we may also ascertain the 

 rate of this very slow and minute chemical action ; thus if by an apparatus, as above 

 described, my galvanometer gives a deflection of 8 degrees, I know that the phos- 

 phorus is being consumed at the rate of the seven millionth part of a grain per 

 minute. 



(34.) The next step was to ascertain whether this action was peculiar to nitrogen 

 or common to other gases ; for this purpose, a day or two after the first experiment 

 was set aside, the following were also made, and the dates and results were as fol- 

 lows : — 



No. 1. Phosphorus suspended in protoxide of nitrogen associated with oxygen: 

 weight of phosphorus 5*3 grains. Charged August 11th, 1844. 



No. 2. Similar experiment, but without phosphorus. 



Tested occasionally by galvanometer, the first battery gave invariably a small de- 

 flection, but less than in experiment (33.) ; the second gave no deflection. 



Examined the 22nd April, 1845. 



No. 1. Water risen in tube of oxygen 075 cubic inch. 



In protoxide tube 1*7 cubic inch. 



No. 2. Water risen in oxygen tube 0*1 cubic inch. 



In protoxide tube 1*6 cubic inch. 



Phosphorus weighed 5 grains, therefore loss =0*3 grain. 



In this experiment the rise of liquid in the tubes containing protoxide was evidently 

 due to the solubility of that gas, as it was very nearly equal in both the batteries, 

 and the second gave not the slightest galvanometric deflection ; the result gives 0-65 

 cubic inch of oxygen consumed by 0*3 grain of phosphorus, bearing nearly the same 

 relative proportions as experiment (33.) ; the only difference between the action of 

 phosphorus in nitrogen and in protoxide of nitrogen is, that in the former it is more 

 rapid, as proved both by the galvanometric deflection and by the quantity of oxygen 

 absorbed in a given time. 



(35.) Charged August 11th, 1844. 



No. 1. Phosphorus in carbonic acid gas associated with oxygen; weight of phos- 

 phorus 5 9 grains. 



