3. "On the transfer of certain constituent Parts of Bodies by the action of Electricity.
4. "On the passage of Acids, Alkalies, and other Substances, through various attracting chemical menstrua, by means of Electricity.
5. "Some general Observations on these Phenomena, and on the mode of Decomposition and Transition.
6. "On the General Principles of the chemical changes produced by Electricity.
7. "On the Relations between the Electrical Energies of bodies and their Chemical Affinities.
8. "On the mode of action of the Pile of Volta, with Experimental Elucidations.
9. "On some General Illustrations and Applications of the foregoing facts and principles."
With respect to the first of these divisions, comprehending a history of the changes produced in water by electricity, it is worthy of particular notice, that as early as the year 1800, while residing at Bristol, Davy had discovered that when separate portions of distilled water, filling two glass tubes connected by moist bladders, or any moist animal or vegetable substance, were submitted to the electrical action of the Voltaic pile, by means of gold wires, a nitro-muriatic solution of gold appeared in the tube containing the positive wire, and a solution of soda in the opposite tube; but he soon ascertained that the muriatic acid owed its appearance to the animal or vegetable matters employed; for when the same fibres of cotton were used in successive experiments, and washed after every process in a weak solution of nitric acid, the water in the apparatus containing them, though acted upon for a great length of time with a very strong power, produced no effect upon a solution of nitrate of silver.
In every case in which he had procured much soda, the glass[61] at the point of contact with the wire seemed considerably eroded; when by substituting an agate for a glass cup, no fixed saline matter could be obtained. Its source therefore, in the former case, was evidently the glass.
With respect to Mr. Sylvester's experiment, already noticed, it was sufficient to say that he conducted his process in a vessel of pipe-clay, which not only contains lime, but may also include in its composition some of the combinations of a fixed alkali.