93 THE WATER RAM. 



the apparatus without success by the galvanic society at Paris, I macJe use 

 last meiitiQned, ^^ ^ater wliich was not altered by nitrate of silver. Itoofc a 

 atic acid and tube, seciired at one end by a bladder, into which I intro- 

 an a all. duecd pure water. At the other end was a cork, through 



which a platina wire was passed nearly to the bottom of the 

 tube. I then set the tube in a wine glass containing also pure 

 water, into v/hich I introduced another platina wire, the end 

 of which catiie under the end of the tube, as near the 

 Query' wh^her bladder as |:ossible. The wire in the tube was connected with 

 fccted or c:uis- ^'^^ ^^'^^ '^^^'^ *^^ ^^^^ trough, that in the glass with tlve copjjer 

 ed tli«<e pro- end ; after the process had continued an hovir, I put the liquid 

 in the tube to the test of nitrate of silver ; and when I had 

 a sufficient precijitate to indentify the presence of muriatic 

 acid, the liquid in the glass contained an alkali, which 1 sus- 

 pect to be ammonia. I hope in my next to speak more fully 

 to this. If,asiMr. Peel has asserted in the Philosophical Maga- 

 zuie, this alcali should be soda, what an important field will 

 be opened to the chemist and the naturalist ! If a galvanic 

 trough of moderate size be capable of generating muriate- of 

 soda frorxi water, the same effect must in some degree take 

 place when two metals of different degrees of oxidability are 

 immersed in tliis liquid. Hence the waier used in tlie econo- 

 my of life and jn other situations, must be frequently under- 

 going this change. The muriate of soda, thus generated, 

 is carried by the rivers intp the ocean, from whence it canngt 

 return by evaporation : need we then wonder at the 

 saltncss of the sea ? 



Ill, 



Of the UfiUfif of the Water Ham ; ly ill. J o s . INI o ^r g o i. f i e r , 

 Demonstrator to the R.cpositori/ of Arts and Trades, Paris.* 

 With Remarks by W. N. 



The rafsing J[t is frequently necessary to raise water to considerable 

 water by men , . , , , , i ,- •, • , , 



or horses is heights when we are precluded tiom employing tfie strength 



expensive. of men or animals for this purpose, because these would be 

 too expensive. Accordingly, recourse has been had to streams 

 of water, or the cfiects of fire, to supply the power re- 

 quired. 



* Traubbtetl from Soiiini's Journal, No. V. Feb. ISOG. p. G3I. 



The 



