GALVANIC PROCESSES. Q^ 



'ot water takes place ; the pxigen uniting with the zinc, while 

 the hydrogen is invisibly diffused through the liquid, reduc- 

 ing the oxigcn of lead upon the metallic lead already found. 



To prove that the whole of this eflect can be produced by 

 galvanism without the zinc touching the solution of lead, I 

 made the following experiment : 



The glass tube AB, Plate III. Fig. l.had a piece of thin Experiment by 



bladder tied at JS so as to hold a liquid when filled ; the tube ^^^ch't'i^e di- 



wa» filled with acetite of lead j the vessel D was of zinc partly lute acid was se- 



filled with dilute muriatic acid, the wire (passing from C P^'/f.^'^ ^™f ^^ 



^' ^ soludon of lead 



through a cork at Jf and coming down so near to the blad- by bladder. 



der as not to pierce it) was of pure platina. The bladder it is ^^'^ Jefd was 



, . , 1 •, r 1 • ^precipitated as 



plain separates the zinc and the acid irora the acetite of in the case be- 



lead. The wire was for seme time uneonnected with the ^"^^e stated by 



platina. 

 Zinc vessel, but no change whatever took place in the tubej 



but as soon as the contact was made at C, metallic lead 

 began to be Ibrmed tit the poiSit of the platina wire. I obtain- 

 ed in this way about six grains of rpetallic lead. When the When lead was 



tube M-as filled wiih the dilute acid instead of acetite of lead, "°* present hy- 

 . . drogen was de- 



iiydrogeu g:is was given out at thfe platina wire j so that it velopeS. 



seems the bladder itself could not prevent the passage of the 



combined hydrogen.* 



When acetite of lead is decomposed by galvanism, the acid In thus decom- 

 is set free, and I believe it is the case with all metallic solu- Slic^olutioJiV 

 tions under the same operation. For the sake of not occupy- the acid is set 

 ing too ranch of your room as well as. ray own limits, being ^^^* 

 confined, I must defer for a future communication more minute 

 observations upon these experiments. By the favcmr of 

 inserting the above in your next Journal, if you are not alrea- 

 dy provided with something more important, you will much 

 oblige 



Vour most humble and obedient servant, 



CHARLES SYLVESTER. 



Shrfidd^MfVl Mf//, 1806. 



P. 5. I have just made the experiment announced by M. Pure watf^ 

 Vachiani on the diitovery of the muriatic base, and repeated *" j!^^! i wi'i*°s in 



* It is very probable that the electricity present on these occa- 

 sious combines witK the h^-drogeu when the oxigen consbiwes with 

 tho^inc, and that it is invisibly trausraitted thi-ou'j,h the liquid to 

 the platina wire. 



Vol. XIV. — Jt:ne, l&c(j O wkU 



