ACIDS BY GALVANISM. ^ 



then examining the fohition by dipping a piece of paper into 

 it ; upon its being dipped the paper (hewed evident figns of 

 nitre upon it, and when burned it detonated the fame as nitre 

 would have done ; and alfo with the folution of (ilver the al- 

 "kaline folution gave fome faint indications of the marine acid 

 being prefent in it. That the folution fliould give indications Remark. Thefe 

 of poflefling both the nitrous and marine acids is not fo fur- J.^°^*^'='^'j^^ ^^^^ 

 prizing; as we have the fame products in firing oxigen and common detona- 

 Iiidrpgen gafes, according to the foreign experiments, princi- tion of oxigen 

 pally the nitrous acid, but with it a fmall quantity of the ma- 

 rine acid. 



I then filled the tube (after wafliing it clean) with pure Pure water gal- 

 diftilled water, and fent through it the galvanic fluid ; and I l^^'^'lllJ'J^ 

 ©bferved a generation of airs, which, upon examination, ap- 

 peared to be the airs ufually formed in thefe experiments, as 

 fhey exploded. 



After this I filled the tube with a folution of pure potafli in Pure potaft and 

 diflilled water, and no air came from it upon galvanifing it; water gave no 

 , , . T, ■ ■ , r , gasbygalvan- 



it any, it was carbonated air : But upon exammmg the lolu- ii\ng, but indi- 



tion, it gave clearly the fame indications of poflefline: the ni- "'^^'^ ^^« t^'o 

 * J -J ,. , . I r I .• r . n acids of the firft 



trous and marme acids, as the carbonated lolution of potaQi experiment. 



did in the firft experiment. 



Now exempt from all hypolhefes, let us examine thefe in- Remarks. The 



lereftins: fads ; The carbonated polafli had its carbonic acid <^arboinc acid 

 ,,,.,„ , .', ., , , was expelled 



air expelled, clearly from the acid or acids; as we know that from potafh by a 



it could not part with its carbonic acid air, but from the action ft'ongeracid 

 of a ftronger acid. Alfo another more efTential fa6i it proves whence it is in- 

 to us, that the generation of the peculiar airs, what are called ferred that the 

 oxigen and hidrogen gafes, are owing to the acids ; for when °^'q^^ a^Qj-g " 

 the potalh was in the water as to arreft or attra£l them, there from theXe aci<Js. 

 were neither of thefe airs produced ; and upon examining the 

 diftilled water (in the experiment in which they were pro- 

 duced) after their produftion, there was no acid in the water, 

 but it was pure diflilled water. Therefore, beyond a doubt, 

 the nitrous acid is efientially^oncerned in the production of 

 thefe peculiar oxigen and^fdrogen gafes : indeed Mr. Cruick- 

 (hanks fays, that upon fufing thefe airs, he found in the refi- 

 duum the nitrous acid. 



Thefe experiments were performed by two fhort gold wires The conducing 

 attached to each end of thp galvanic pile. But upon placing ^"^" ^^""^ S^'d. 

 ^ pretty long iron wire to the fjiver end of the pile inftead of 



the 



