42 Mr. Davy’s Experiments on 
combination of 500 plates, and continued for some days, it 
was always found that fixed alkali, separated in the glass 
negatively electrified ; and a minute quantity of acid, which 
could barely be made evident by litmus, in the glass positively 
electrified. This acid rendered cloudy nitrate of silver. 
Whether its presence was owing to impurities which might 
rise in distillation with the mercury, or to muriatic acid exist 
mg in the glass, I cannot say ; but as common salt perfectly 
dry, is not decomposed by silex, it seems very likety that 
muriatic acid in its arid state, may exist in combination in 
glass. 
I tried several experiments on the ignition and fusion of 
platina by Voltaic electricity, in mixtures of the vapour of 
water and oxygene gas. I thought it possible if water 
could be combined with more oxygene , that this heat, the most 
intense we are acquainted with, might produce the effect. 
When the oxygene was mixed with nitrogene, nitrous acid 
was formed ; but when it consisted of the last portions from 
oxy muriate of potash, there was not the slightest indication 
of such a result. 
Water in vapour was passed through oxide of manganese, 
made red hot in a glazed porcelain tube, the bore of which 
was nearly an inch in diameter ; in this case a solution of 
nitrous acid, sufficiently strong to be disagreeably sour to the 
taste, and which readily dissolved copper, was formed. 
This experiment was repeated several times, and when the 
diameter of the tube was large, with precisely the same 
results. When red oxide of lead was used instead of oxide 
of manganese, no acid was however generated ; but upon 
this substance a single trial only was made, and that in a small 
