CHEMICAL THEORY. 175 



From tlicse transient remarks it may appear evidcn'tfo any Dissertation on 

 one employed in galvanic research, what is the true action of **!^ "^^"'„'^^"'^ 

 this wonderful chem-cal agent: its nature also I hope has H^ht, and eoio- 

 been somewhat elucidated. And as a [)ath has been shown ""^t^*^"- 

 to lead on persons labouring in the field, they will be more 

 sure of employing themselves to advantage, whence they may 

 have a probable suppc^sition of what will be the result of 

 their experiments. If the influence be applied to an inflam- 

 mable substance, inflammation will ensue, if to a product 

 of combustion, it will be resolved into oxigen gas and an 

 imflammable matter. If to a substance capable of becom- 

 ing a supporter, it will absorb light and give out heat. 



It is a question, and I cannot say whether it has been 

 solved, whether the condensed matter of light can exist ex- 

 cept with a necessar\- quantity of oxigen to retain it ; or whe- 

 ther it can be present in any substance which does not con- 

 tain oxigen ? I believe that nothing has been found as sup- 

 porter of combustion unless it contains oxigen gas as the 

 nitric and oxi-muriatic acids. Would it be possible to 

 form an oxi-su!phuric acid, or an oxi-nitric acid, by help of 

 the galvanic apparatus r Those salts, which contain the nitric 

 or oxi-muriatic acids, have been called detonating salts, per- 

 ha[)S improperly, for but few of them detonate without the ad- 

 dition of an inflammable. The nitrous ammonia is a real 

 detonating salt. 



Among the discoveries by the galvanic instruments, T 

 believe no one has decomposed the carbonic acid or the phos- 

 phoric acid : by proper management it may be done, and with 

 regard to the first, some very curious appearances may be 

 observed. Carbonic acid and water are products of combus- 

 tion, but if they arc combined with that substance on which 

 tiie inflammability of bodies depend, they become ardent spirit 

 or oil. There appears a gradation of changes between gluten 

 farina, saccharum, alkohol, and oleum. Any of these give a 

 product of water and carbonic acid. 



It may now be proper to notice the objections which hate 

 been made to the opinion, that light is afforded by oxigen, ajiil 

 heat by the inflammable body dunng the process of combus- 

 tion. The much lamented French chemist who was the inven- 

 tor 



