320 Mr Connell on the Action of 



of iodide of potassium, of boracic acid, of arsenic acid, and of 

 some other bodies, were dissolved in alcohol, hydrogen was evol- 

 ved, as in the case of potash, from the negative pole, whilst none 

 appeared at the positive pole ; but in these cases the action was 

 not so great as with potash. Thus, from 1\ dram alcohol, con- 

 taining about -^~ of recently ignited chloride of calcium, and 

 acted on in the tube Fig. 2 by seventy pairs of four-inch plates, 

 about one-third of a cubic inch of gas was obtained in half an 

 hour. The negative foil then became coated with lime, and the 

 action was almost entirely stopped ; but it was again renewed on 

 removing the coating from the foil, and one-sixth of a cubic inch 

 more gas was got in from two to three hours. I shall afterwards 

 notice more particularly the nature of the changes produced on 

 the substances held in solution, when they appear to be decom- 

 posed. 



Alcohol holding a little iodine in solution shewed no effer- 

 vescence from either pole, when acted on by fifty pairs of two- 

 inch plates, a power amply sufficient to shew the action with the 

 other substances. 



My next object was to endeavour to obtain a voltaic action on 

 alcohol not holding any foreign body dissolved. The strongest 

 galvanic power which I had at my command consisted of 216 pairs 

 of four-inch plates ; # and this power I found sufficient for my pur- 

 pose. The alcohol acted on was placed in the tube Fig. 2, of 

 the capacity of 1^ dram. The platinum foil poles were about 

 one inch long by one-fifth broad, and were soldered with gold to 

 platinum wires, of about ^ inch diameter, which passed through 

 the cork. The bent tube served for collecting the gas. The 



* All the galvanic batteries employed in the experiments detailed in this paper 

 were fixed in mahogany troughs in the usual way, The charge employed was two 

 measures of sulphuric acid, one measure of nitric acid, and about 100 measures of 

 water. 



