New-York tribune., 1841-12-31

particle and the hydrogen rises Inis accounts
FOR ne fac, that YOU sec rs bubble; because ihe
rapid succession OF decomposition, snd recon-
positions OF the successive particlea o: wafer
causes the hydrogen TO pass from one wire 70 the
other unul 1t is finally discharged This Is an
extremely pleasing and ;ngeaiou. theory ou; IL
seems TO rnc fail entirely :; this point: you
collect tina; showed that when partition i
passed through the vessel 20 that the water i d.
yidcd, tie thing takes p ace, that mere the
successive dcconpesitious aad rec.mposi'ions oi
GRoTTHDs won do, uale.s you suppose tina, the
particles OF solid wicr undergo The same change
a. the particles sf wnter which vii hardly % sd-
milted This theory never received the general
assent OF the scientific world, and NAY say thai,
th- facts nave detailed are sui esiirelv un-
accounted for.
Wren these facts OF the analysis OF water began
to attract attention, DiyY commenced hi, expert
ment-. and he found that whatever TIE principle
which decomposed the water might be- the liquid
after the decomposition was effec;sd. was found 10
b. strongly tmpregnated with acid. Various the
ores were devised 20 account or this, some main
is.ining that the atmosphere the source OF tho
acid and others going the extreme length o: be-
lievng that the acid wa- produced by the actisn OF
;he electricity and on this theory they gave TO il
the name OF electric aud In this state pf confl-
son the matter lay when DA7T took il in hand
and determined 10 seek out tn OF this phc-
nomenon and nosly did he succeed.
The task OF philosophers l. not always Tie crate
tsl one OF evolving and important truths; ,ley
often have the more difficult and t,ankles- Ia
Dor OF extirpating error; and uch was the task of
DAvY in the inquiry upon which he had now enier-
ed. be found by the closest and most careful IN
ye.,igations that the production Of acid IN the wa
ter when exposed to the action of the saya aic
current, was error; but the process by which he
arrived this conclusion is too interesting to be-
passed in silence. Proceeding with the sagaci;y
which enables one to seize upon the accidental
circumstances which often arise out of an nycsii-
CATION he commenced his abors in this way. He
determined 20 perform the expermer most care
fuliy-in manner which he ihos.ht could leave
10 possible chance for the exstcRcc OF acid from
ex,erDa. and unforeseen causes. lie a, first sup
posed ha, the acid arose from matter used a. a
conductor, and for this, Wo1LAsrox suggested a
remedy, that fbrous substance, a asbestos
should be employed D4'Y took two agate cup,
poured into them distilled water. and employed "a,
Il conductor a >ken or syphon of amieaihu, He
tacn connected the wafer in the two vessels with
the two poles OF the galvanc battery. As usual
aud he expected, bubbles OF oxygen came from
and hydrogen from the other. After the pro-
cess had been going on fora little time. DArr lp-
piled the usual tosts, and, contrary his a.tcip1-
tons and greatly TO hi, disappointment. he found
that there was acid in the positive vessel and alkali
in the negative. He felt sure that they could not
nave existed in the wafer, could he admit that
they came IN through the agency OF electricity.
Well, he began to consider, may it not be that
the CUPS themselves the source ef this prnci-
pie and TO test this, he proceeded in this way
hc cot made two cups OF fine gold in the form OF
hollow cones, carefully executed. In these ne put
the same quantity and kind of water as before,
bjected it for the same time thc battery
and under tho same circumstances and now, said
he if acid is produced in any different quantity,
am certain it cannot be attributed 10 the water or
tie electricity for both are the same a. before
but if, as shr-wdly suspect, the cups have any
thing to do wita it, il will become evident. and
shall either find no acid at ALL or different guam
,ity from what | had before. The result com
plc,ey fulfilled his antlcratons. not by the total
absence of the acid and alki but BY their being
found in very different proportions. There was
little or no acid in the positive cup. and twenty
times much alka in the negative, ~ in his for
ncr experiment. He had no doub, now that
he had arrived at a method which would finally
lead t- the discovery of the cause OF these phc-
but he determined to ~ still further
experiment.
he accordingly put into silver still quantity
ut the water he lad before used, asa distilled il at
the low Temperature of l40' by slow process.
after having distilled it until il had all passed off
in vupor, he examined the rcsduum and found that
II contained seyen-;cnths of grain of alkali.-
Here. thea, he had found the source of the al
Kali it was contained in the water with which the
t Experiment. was made. After this bee repeated the
experiment with tie same quantity OF water ex-
posed to the same galyanic action and in the same
gold cups and the result showed conclusycly that
the belief that the Electricity itset was the source
OF the acid and allali. was completely exploded
and error removed from his path which would
otherwise have stood in his way in all his future dis
cnvcrcs.
TIE next subject which attracted the attention
OF DAyY, ind in examining which, he arrived al
The very important discovery which gained tIl-
prize offered by the French Academy oi Science
was investigation of the manner in whica the
elements of matter behave themselves with refer
cncc to each other while under the influence of the
electric current. You will comprehend this more
clearly when show you the experiments which
DAvY made acd their first most curious aud inter
cstins results.
he took two vessels, filled each with water and
caused them TO communicate, the one with the
posit snd the other with the negative pole Of the
ealvanc pile. Between the two he F.laced
third vessel, likewise containing water which VA,
connectcd by syphons with the water in the other
vessels. In this arrangement the stream Of posi-
tive electricity passes into vessel through the
water in it, Though the connecting wire 10 the
middle vessel. ihcace by like conductor INTO the
third vessel, when it the negative electricity
from the other polc OF the battery. Now his tirst
rxpcrmeu, wa. this in the middle vessel he
placed saline solution, which is compound Of
an acid and an alkal. In the other two yc>sss
he placed pure water The momen; tn electric
stream was allowed enter the vessels singular