some new Objects in Chemical Philosophy. gg 
hermetically inserted into the tube. 500 double plates of 
the Voltaic combination were used, in such activity that 
about the eighth of a cubical inch of the mixed gasses, upon 
an average, was produced from 20 to 30 times in every day. 
The water used in this experiment was about a half a cubic 
inch; it had been carefully purged of air by the air-pump and 
by boiling, and had been introduced into the tube, and secured 
from the influence of the atmosphere whilst warm. After the 
first detonation of the oxygene and hydrogene, which together 
equalled about the eighth of a cubical inch, there was a resi- 
duum of about - 1 - of the vollime of the gasses ; after every 
detonation this residuum was found to increase, and when 
about 50 detonations had been made, it equalled rather more 
than A of the volume of the water i. e. | of a cubical inch. 
It was examined by the test of nitrous gas ; it contained no 
oxygene ; 6 measures mixed with 3 measures of oxygene 
diminished to 5 ; so that it consisted of 2 .6 of hydrogene, and 
3.4, of a gas, having the characters of nitrogene. 
This experiment seemed in favour of the idea of the produc- 
tion of nitrogene from pure water in these electrical processes^ 
but though the platina wires were hermetically sealed into 
the tube, it occurred to me as possible that at the moment of 
the explosion by the electrical discharge, the sudden expan- 
sions and contractions might occasion some momentary com- 
munication with the external air through the aperture ; and I 
resolved to make the experiments in a method by which the 
atmosphere was entirely excluded.. This was easily done by 
plunging the whole of the apparatus, except the upper parts 
of the communicating wires under oil, and carrying on the 
process as before. In this experiment the residuum did not 
