go SCItNTIFIC NEWS. 



Question : As chemical affinity is modified, destroyed, or increased, by 



mica'l affinity' ^^'^^fy^^gt destroying, or increasing the natural electrical 



and electric States of bodies, and as all bodies that combine chemically, 



energy be not ^hich have been accurately examined as to their electricities, 



the same . » ■' 



power? are in states of opposite energy, Mr. Davy puts the question, 



" Whether chemical unions and decompositions are not the 

 result of the electrical energies of the bodies ? and whether 

 elective affinity is not the same property with electrical ener- 

 gy ?" He enters into various illustrations and applications of 

 this theory, which iiaturally arises from the facts.. . 

 These general The 'general principles explain a number of phaenomena 



pnncip es ex- j^gf^j.^ obscure : why acid and alkali were obtained from water 



plain many J 



galvanic and apparently pure ; the acid and alkaline bases produced by the 



chemical facts, ^jfj-grent poles of the pile; the decomposition of muriate of 



and afford new , , , , , • r- 



methods of soda between the plates j the separation of water mto oxygen 



analysis. and hydrogen, by attracting and repellent powers acting 



equally upon other bodies. 



The experiments offer new methods of analysis, and will 

 apply to the solution of many natural phaenomena. 



. X-'' 



Printed by Paolo Da PDnte, i5, Poland-Sueet, Oxford-Street. 



