Voltaic Electricity on Alcohol, fyc. 341 



acid, and then thoroughly freed from all traces of acid by water. 

 The muriatic acid was then connected with the negative side of 

 fifty pairs of two-inch plates, and the distilled water with the po- 

 sitive, when a slight effervescence took place from both poles. 

 After a quarter of an hour's action, not the slightest trace of chlo- 

 rine could be detected in either tube, either by the smell or by 

 bleaching action on test-paper, but a feeble trace of acid was 

 shewn by test-paper in the positive tube. After an action of one 

 hour and a quarter, there was still not a trace of chlorine in 

 either tube, and the reddening action on test-paper of the po- 

 sitive liquid was somewhat increased. In nine hours, the red- 

 dening action of the water was still more decided, and a very 

 feeble and doubtful odour of chlorine was observed in it. Now, 

 what inference is to be drawn from this experiment. I appre- 

 hend the following is the explanation. The slight effervescence 

 which took place from both poles, arose from decomposed water, 

 its elements going to their proper poles. The muriatic acid was 

 not decomposed ; had it been so, the chlorine would have imme- 

 diately passed towards the positive pole, and would have betrayed 

 itself in one or both tubes by its usual characters. If, only after 

 nine hours' action, a doubtful trace of it could be observed in 

 the positive water, its origin was due to the secondary action of 

 the oxygen on the muriatic acid, which had passed over partly 

 by the natural tendency of the acid to the positive side, and part- 

 ly by capillary action. That this is the true explanation, will 

 still farther appear from the following experiments. Muriatic 

 acid, diluted with two or three times its bulk of water, was placed 

 in A as before, and water acidulated with a few drops of sulphu- 

 ric in B, with which latter liquid the connecting asbestus was 

 moistened. The diluted muriatic was made negative, and the 

 acidulated water positive. A brisker effervescence than before 

 took place from both poles, from the better conducting power 

 of the positive liquid ; but still in ten minutes not a trace of 

 chlorine could be detected in either tube, either by the smell 



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