22 i 



pable of uniting with water as a solvent. Further, these attributes 

 are admitted to belong to salts whicli, not holding water as a ba B, 

 cannot be hydrurets or hydracids of any salt radical: and while sued 

 attributes are found in compounds which, like chromic and Carbonic 

 acid, cannot be considered as hydrurets, they do not exist in all that 

 merit this appellation, as is evident in the cases of prussic acid and 

 oil of bitter almonds : — 



(m) It seems to have escaped attention, that if SO 4 be the oxysul- 

 phion of sulphates, SO 3 , anhydrous sulphuric acid, must be the oxy- 

 sulphion of the sulphites; and that there must, in the hyposulphites 

 and hyposulphates, be two other oxysulphions ! — 



(ra) The electrolytic experiments of Daniell have been erroneously 

 interpreted ; since the electrolysis of the base of sulphate of soda 

 would so cause the separation of sodium and oxygen, that the oxy- 

 gen would be attracted to the anode, the hydrogen and soda being 

 indirectly evolved by the reaction of sodium with water; while the 

 acid deprived of its alkaline base, would be found at the anode in 

 combination with basic water, without having been made to act in 

 the capacity of an anion : — 



(o) The copper, in the case of a solution of the sulphate of this 

 metal and a solution of potash, separated by a membrane, would, by 

 electrolyzation, be evolved by the same process as sodium, so long 

 as there should be copper to perform the office of a cathion ; and 

 when there should no longer be any copper to act in this capacity, 

 the metal of the alkali, or hydrogen of water, on the other side of the 

 membrane, would act as a cathion ; the oxygen acting as an anion 

 from one electrode to the other, first to the copper, and then to the 

 potassium : — 



(p) The allegation that the copper was deposited from the want 

 of an anion (oxysulphion) to combine with, is manifestly an error ; 

 since, had there been no anion, there could have been no discharge, 

 as alleged, to hydrogen as a ca.thion, nor any electrolysis : — 



(q) The hydrated oxide precipitated on the membrane came from 

 the reaction of the alkali with the sulphate of copper ; the precipitated 

 oxide of this metal from the oxygen of the soda acting as an anion ; 

 and the deposite of metallic copper from the solutions performing, 

 feebly, the part of electrodes, while themselves the subjects of elec- 

 trolyzation : — 



(r) The so called principles of Liebig,* by which his theory of 



* Traite de Chimie Organique, torn. 1, page 7. 



