O-a GALVANISM. 71 



Soon after the publication of the valuable difcovery of the In the decom. 

 decompofition of water by the galvanic procefs, by MefTrs. bygalvanifai^thc 

 Nicholfon and Carlifle, Richrer, an eminent German philofo- effefts are pro- 

 pher, obferving that water becomes decom pofed by wires placed jift^n^ej ^"* 

 at a confiderable diftance from each other, could not conceive afunder. 

 that the fame identical particle of water could be influenced by 

 two wires at the fame inftant of time; and hence he conjec- 

 tured that the Lavoifierean theory relative to water being a 

 compound fubftance muft be incorredl. 



Dr. Gibbes fuppofes water to be an elementary principle, Dr. Gibbet Ai^- 

 and that the two gafes which are produced are compounds. ^°^^^ '^^ °^'Sfn 



. r t r ■ lobewareranA 



J hus the oxygen gas which is difengaged from the zinc end plus eleaiicity, 



of the battery, is taken to be a compound of water and pofitive ^"'^fhe hidrogea 



e!e6iricify ; the water conftituting its ponderable part, while minus elec- 



the hydrogen gas given out by the other wire connected with tricity. 



the copper end of the battery is concluded to have water alfo 



for its ponderable part in a ftate of combination with negative 



eledricity. 



Dr. G. confiders pofitive and negative eledricity as two That plus and 



diRiria principles, which when in a ftate of union conflitute minus eleftnciif 

 , . ™, . , , . ,. . f. , compcffe ealonc. ' 



caloric. I hus in the explofion or a mixture or oxygen and 



hydrogen gafes, the two eledricities enter into union and form 



caloric, wliile the refpedlive ponderable bafes are precipitated 



in the ftate of water. 



Upon this hypothefis, the clrcumftances of the evolution of Hence flame and 

 flame and heat, together with the producilon of water, are^**^* 

 capable of explanation. 



Alfo upon this fuppofition fome notion may be formed, why and thegalvanie 

 the gafes are produced in the vicinities of each wire, and ^ ^nomena, 

 why oxygen gas mml: be evolved from the wire connedled with 

 the zinc end of the battery, and hydrogen gas from the wire 

 united with the copper end. 



This ingenious fuppotition, which does great credit to the Examination of 

 well-known abilities of Dr. Gibbes, in the firfl point of view ^*^^ theory. 

 feems to receive additional fupport from its apparent fimplicity. 

 But upon more minute inveftigation, I am induced to think 

 it will be found more complicated than the Lavoifierean theory, 

 and by no means fo general in its application. 



In the firft place it ihould be proved that there are two fuch Thetwoeleftas 

 diftin6t principles as pofitive and negative eledtricity ; and JnP^ncipIes not 

 fupport of this, the experiments of Eeles,'Symner, Atwood, 

 8f c. are by no means conclufive, 



Wheij 



