chemical Agencies of Electricity. 19 
Strong or saturated saline solutions, as might have been 
expected, afforded indications of the progress of decompo- 
sition much more rapidly than weak ones ; but the smallest 
proportion of neutrosaline matter seemed to be acted on with 
energy. 
A very simple experiment demonstrates this last principle. 
If a piece of paper tinged with turmeric, is plunged into pure 
water in a proper circuit, in contact with the negative point, 
the very minute quantity of saline compound contained in the 
paper, affords alkaline matter sufficient to give it instantly a 
brown tint near its point of contact : and acid in the same 
manner is immediately developed from litmus paper, at the 
positive surface. 
I made several experiments, with the view of ascertaining 
whether, in the decompositions by electricity, the separation 
of the constituent parts was complete from the last portions 
of the compound; and whenever the results were distinct, 
this evidently appeared to be the case. 
I shall describe one of the most conclusive of the experi- 
ments : a very weak solution of sulphate of potash, containing 
20 parts water and one part saturated solution, at 64°, was 
electrified in the two agate cups by the power of 50 pairs of 
plates for three days : the connecting amianthus, which had 
been moistened with pure water, was removed, washed with 
pure water, and again applied, twice every day ; by this pre- 
caution the presence of any neutral salt that might adhere to 
it, and disturb the results, was prevented. The alkali obtained 
in this process in the solution had the properties of pure 
potash ; and when it had been saturated with nitric acid it 
gave no turbidness by mixture with solution of muriate of 
D 2 
