ON GALVANIS^N 173 



pair of Wires the two airs will be produced. Might not Mr. General c fled s 

 Wilkinfon's experiment of burning charcoal be in this manner gaivanifm^ "'^ 

 greatly increafed in fplendour ? 



In the profecution of the prefent inquiry, I (hall efpecially 

 notice the two different etFedls produced in water by the wires 

 of Voita's pile. It is known that thefe two wires throw out 

 two powers fimilar to what are called pofitive and negative 

 ele6tricity; and as water is common to both, I am led to con-- 

 clude that the two gafes are produced in one inftance by the 

 union of one of thefe powers with water, and in the other by 

 the other power and water, and to confider each gas as thus 

 compounded, becaufe we have no evidence of any other 

 power, principle or fubftance being acceflbry to the produc- 

 tion of either of the gafes. V^olta's pile caufes combuftion in 

 atmofpheric air, and therefore vital air isabforbed; it caufes 

 another fpecies of combuftion in vacuo, becaufe the two prin- 

 ciples of fire are fupplied by it. VoUa's pile does not act in 

 vacuo, becaufe the refinance neceflary to accumulate the 

 powers is withdrawn in the fame manner as the Leyden jar 

 does not charge in vacuo. 



If the gas which is produced from one of the wires com- 

 municating with the pile in water be united and inflamed with 

 the other in a juft proportion, the water which is common to 

 both is re-produced, and common fire is generated in great 

 abundance; now as we have had no evidence of the prefence 

 of fire till this point of time, does it not appear that thefe two 

 principles which are thrown out from the wires of the pile, are 

 by their union transformed into ordinary fire, and does it not 

 appear in this experiment that ordinary fire is generated by and 

 compounded of thefe two powers ? 



Lavoifier has triumphed over the friends of Phlogiflon. He 

 overturned a fyftem which was built upon the affiimption of a 

 principle, upon a mere name of hypothetical entity, endued 

 with attributed or imaginary properties. But in the place of 

 the fyftem he deftroyed, he has erefted one of his own. Has 

 he not built upon the fame weak foundation with his late ad- 

 verfaries ? Does not his fyftem reft altogether upon the alTumed 

 diftind exiftence of things, the diftind exiftence of which can- 

 not in any way be evinced? Do not all his folutions of chemi- 

 cal phenomena depend on fuch affumption ? May not all thefe 

 phenomena be explained with equal eafc, nay more fimply, 

 by referring them to the adion of known agents ? 



If 



