174 



ON ELECTRO-CHEMICAL EXPERIMENTS. 



A slight heeling of the parachutes toward one side, or an 

 alteration in the position of the weight, may enable the 

 aeronaut to steer such an apparatus tolerably well; but 

 many better constructions may be formed, for combining 

 the requisites of speed, convenience, and steerage. It is a 

 great point gained, when the first experiments demonstrate 

 the practicability of an art ; and Mr. Degen, by whatever 

 means he has effected this purpose, deserves much credit for 

 his ingenuity. 



III. 

 On Electro-Chemical Experiments. By Mr. G. J. Singer. 



Mr, Davy's ex- Jj_ fJE important increase of chemical knowledge, which 

 general'ly^re- nas atten ded the recent successful application of electrical 

 pe*ted. powers to the improvement of analysis, cannot be well ap- 



preciated without a repetition of the experiments; but this 

 has not been hitherto by any means generally attempted, 

 although a considerable time has elapsed since the publica- 

 tion of Mr. Davy's first researches. The consequences of 

 this delay are most prejudicial to the real interests of sci- 

 ence, as the observations, which have been published in thi» 

 -country on the labours of that assiduous chemist, have been 

 consequently supported by nothing but hypothetical reason- 

 ing, or loose conjecture; and have been therefore rather 

 calculated to impede than promote the progress of disco- 

 very. 

 Supposed to From the want of a popular exposition of the facts al- 

 require great ready obtained, and of the mode of conducting similar re- 

 " ' searches, an idea has prevailed very generally, that much 



difficulty attends the repetition of the new experiments; 

 and that in most instances the aid of a powerful Voltaic 

 fcut tlaese not battery is required. This I have found is not by any means 

 necessary with the case, most of the experiments may be performed with 

 lions! ^ vei T moderate powers, when the requisite precautions are 



observed. An a want of atte^ don to these circumstances 

 has been in most instances the cause of failure, many expe- 

 rimenters 



