chemical Agencies of Electricity, 15 
they were connected by moist asbestus, and constantly 
subjected during four days to the strong action of a battery 
of 150 pairs of plates of 4 inches square. As the water dimi- 
nished, its place was supplied by new quantities. At the con- 
clusion of the experiment the fluid on the positive side of the 
apparatus instantly reddened litmus, tasted very sour, and 
gave a distinct precipitate with a solution of muriate of ba- 
rytes ; the water on the other side deepened the tincture of 
turmeric ; but did not render solution of sulphate of potash 
turbid. There was a small quantity of white crust, however, 
on the sides and the bottom of the cavity, and I conceived 
that this might be the barytes, which, during the extremely 
slow decomposition, would have combined with the carbonic 
acid of the atmosphere. To ascertain if this had been the case, 
I introduced into the cavity a drop of diluted muriatic acid ; 
a slight effervescence appeared, and the fluid obtained occa- 
sioned a distinct white cloudiness in solution of sulphate of 
soda. 
In all these cases the constituent parts of the bodies newly 
arranged by the effects of electricity existed in considerable 
quantities, and exposed on a Targe surface to its action. I had 
great reason to believe, however, from the trials with distilled 
water in different vessels, that very minute portions of acid 
and alkaline matter might be disengaged by this agency from 
solid combinations, principally consisting of the pure earths. 
This part of the investigation was easily elucidated. 
For a purpose of geological enquiry, which on a future 
occasion I shall have the honour of laying before the Society, 
I had made a careful analysis of a specimen of fine grained 
basalt from Port Rush in the county of Antrim, by means of 
