18 
PROFESSOR DANIELL AND DR. MILLER ON THE 
lysis of this fluid, mysterious and ill-understood as its electrical relations undoubt- 
edly are. 
7. In reviewing the results which we have obtained from the preceding experiments, 
and the conclusions which we are entitled to draw from them, it will, we think, be 
admitted that many of them are of the highest interest and importance, and some of 
them at variance with the fundamental principles of electrolysis which have been 
hitherto admitted. 
We have seen that in every instance, the definite action of the electric current is 
maintained ; and its passage through a compound liquid conductor is always marked 
by the disengagement at the platinode of hydrogen or the metallic element, or else of 
a group of substances, like ammonium, constituting an equivalent compound; and 
the simultaneous disengagement at the zincode of the non-metallic element, or a 
group of substances of iso-electric powers. Of such electrolytes it may be convenient 
to distinguish the following classes : — 
1st. An electrolyte may consist of simple ions , and then must be constituted of a 
single equivalent of a metal (or H) for its cation, and a single equivalent of a non- 
metallic element for its anion ; as K, I ; Ag, Cl ; &c. ; they may be termed simple 
electrolytes. 
2nd. An electrolyte may consist of a compound cation, a single equivalent of 
which must take the place of a metal ; and a single equivalent of a simple non- 
metallic anion , as NH 4 , Cl. Organic alkalies probably form compound cations of 
this nature, and when their salts are electrolysed, hydrogen is always disengaged 
with them at the platinode, as with ammonia; these and the following we may call 
complex electrolytes. 
3rd. An electrolyte may consist of a compound anion, a single equivalent of which 
would take the place of the simple non-metallic anion, with a single equivalent of a 
simple cation, a metal (or H), as H, NC 2 ; K, S0 4 ; Na, NO e . 
4th. An electrolyte may consist of a single equivalent of a compound cation, and 
a single equivalent of a compound anion, as NH 4 , S0 4 . 
These four cases may be included in the term Monobasic Electrolytes, as a single 
equivalent of force (measured by the voltameter) would electrolyse single equiva- 
lents of the electrolytes. 
5 th. An electrolyte may also consist of two or more equivalents of a metallic cation 
or (H), or of single equivalents of two or more metallic cations (or H) ; when the 
anion must consist of a single equivalent of a compound ion, as (K 2 FeCy 3 ). This 
compound ion, in the case of an oxysalt, contains the so-called anhydrous acid in 
combination with as many equivalents of oxygen as there are of metallic cations (or H) 
in the compounds, as (Na 3 , P 2 0 5 ‘, O s ). 
In this case as many equivalents of force will be required for the electrolysis of one 
equivalent of the electrolyte as there are equivalents of metal (or H) in the cation. 
They may be denominated Polybasic Electrolytes. 
