JYg EXPERIMENTS WITH THE ELECTRIC PILE. 



would be as proper to queftlon the exiftence of azote, if oxy- 

 gen and hydrogen were to fail, as it was to admit it, from the 

 fuppofition of the exiftence of thofe two fubftances. 



A CORRESPONDENT. 



VIII. 



Experiments with the Eledtric Pile, hy Mr. TUtter, of Jena, 

 Communicated hy Mr. Oksted.* 



VV HILE the great inventor of the ele6lric pile was proving 

 the identity of galvanifm and electricity, many of the philofo- 

 phers of Germany were bulled in the fame purfuit. On this 

 fubjed the celebrated Ritter undertook a very extenfive feries 

 of experiments, the refults of which are fo remarkable as to 

 merit attention, even after the publication of the labours of 

 the philofopher of Pavia. 

 To compare "al- ^" order to compare galvanifm properly with ele6lricity, 

 vanifm with four different phenomena are to be diftinguidied; the kind of 

 mufttu/nHo eledricity, chemical adion, fpark, and Ihock. 

 the kind, che- As to the kind of eledtricity, it is known to every perfon, 

 rik afdftock *'^^^ ^^^ P'^*^ ^^^ ^^° elearical poles, one pofitive, the olhei? 

 I. Kind. negative. On a more attentive examination we difcover, what 



The pile has a was not difficult to forefee, that the refpedlive intenfities are 

 negative pole: Itrongeft at the extremities of the pile, and regularly decreafe 

 and the intenfi- fVom the extremity to the centre, where the intenfity is at its 

 dually from t^he minimum. But it was never yet fufpe61ed, that the whole pile 

 extemities to the becomes negatively ele6trified, when a communication is made 

 But the whole ^'^tween the pofitive pole and the earth, by means of fome con- 

 pile becomes ne- duding fubfiance; and on the contrary, the whole pile be- 

 gative, when the ^^^^^ pofuive; when the elearicity is abftrafted from thene- 



pohtivepole 13 . ' ' •' 



made to com- gative pole. We have here a phenomenon, that (hews the 

 m.imcate with theory of eleadcity to be ftill in its infancy: When the ftateof 



the earth by i i • , , , . , 



means of a con- "'^ P''e isthus changed. Its chemical action is not deftroyed, 

 duaor, andi/ir^ but continues as before. This fad is pcrfedly confifteiit with 

 Yet this change ^^^ augmentation of the chemical aftion of the pile, on the 

 in the kind of addition of falls, acids, or alkalis, to (heir wet ftrata, in which 

 not affe'a its°"^ ^^'^ ^^^ '^'""^ ^^ eleflricity remains conftantly the fame as wheni 

 chemical aftion. fimple water was employed. 



A collateral fad 



theadu)Tby° * Joumal de PhyfiquCf December, 1803, Vol. L VI I, p. 401. 



adding a f\lt to Tht 



the water without changing th? kind of clcdlricity. 



