At p. 136, Vol. XVIII of his Annali di Chimica, etc., Brugnatelli publishes a memoir entitled “Chemical Observations on the Electric Acid.” He says:
“Naturalists have hitherto merely abandoned one erroneous hypothesis for another, in considering the nature of the electric fluid. Some have regarded it as identical with heat; while others have been led to consider it as a modified caloric. The disciples of Stahl ascribed it to the nature of their phlogistic or, at least, supposed it to be a fluid abundantly provided with that principle. Henley conjectured it to be phlogistic, when in a state of repose, and fire, when in a state of activity. Among the moderns, several have been found who have declared it to be an acid; but their opinion has been combated by Gardini, who, by means of several ingenious observations, has endeavoured to demonstrate that it is composed of caloric and hydrogen.”
In the earlier experiments on the decomposition of even chemically pure water by the voltaic column, the presence of an acid was always apparent at the pole evolving oxygen, while alkaline matter appeared at the other (Nicholson’s Journal, quarto, Vol. IV. p. 183).
Mr. William Cruikshanks supposed the former to be the nitrous acid resulting from a combination of the oxygen at the positive pole with the azote of the air held in solution by the water, while the alkali, he said, proceeded from the combination of the same principle with the hydrogen evolved at the negative pole (Nicholson’s Journal, quarto, Vol. IV. p. 261). Mr. C. B. Desormes afterward endeavoured to show that the products were ammonia and muriatic acids (Annales de Chimie, Vol. XXXVII. p. 233). Brugnatelli’s experiments with the couronne de tasses, however, led him to consider it to be an acid sui generis produced by the combination of one of the constituents of water with positive electricity. He classed it as oxi-electric, and of all the metals, gold and platina alone appeared to him not to be sensibly affected by this electric acid.
References.—For Brugnatelli’s record of other experiments and observations and for his Memoirs upon different piles, upon animal electricity, upon the identity of the electric and galvanic fluids, etc. etc., see his “Principes,” etc., 1803, and “Grundsätze des Elektricität,” etc., 1812, his Annali di Chimica, Vols. VII. p. 239; XIX. pp. 77, 153, 274, 277, 280–281; XXI. pp. 3, 143, etc., 239; XXII. pp. 1, etc., 77–92, 257, 301; the Giornale di Chimica, Fis. e Storia Nat. of L. and G. Brugnatelli, G. Brunacci and P. Configliachi, Vol. I. pp. 147–163, 337–353; IX. p. 145; XI. p. 130, and the “Commentarii Medici,” edited by L. Brugnatelli and L. V. Brera; also Brugnatelli’s Giornale Fisico-Medico, etc., and its continuation, Avanzamenti della Medicina e Fisica, the first named containing (Vol. I. p. 280), a repetition of Galvani’s experiments, made by Volta, Rezia and Brugnatelli; G. Bianconi, “Intorno ...” and “Cenni intorno ... Galvanoplastica” (Nuovi Annali della Scienze Naturali); the “Biblioteca Italiana,” of which his son Gaspare Brugnatelli was an editor, in conjunction with Breislak, Configliachi, Carlini, Cotena, Acerbi, Brunacci, Fantonelli, Fumagelli, Ferrario, Giordiani, Gironi and Monti; G. A. Giobert, “Gior. Fis. Med.,” 1188; Du Pré, “Ann. di Chimica,” IX. 156; P. Mascagni, “Lettera ...” for Brugnatelli’s notes; A. Cossa, “Notizie ... elettro-chimica,” 1858; J. Napier, “Man. of El. Met.,” 4th ed., pp. 491, 492; J. B. Van Mons’ Journal de Chimie, Vols. I. pp. 1, 24, 101, 216, 325; II. pp. 106, 216; IV. p. 143; X. p. 114; XVI. p. 132; also Vol. LXXVI; Giornale di Fis. Chim., Vol. I. pp. 4–32, 28, 139–147, 164–166, 338; “Effemeridi Chim. Mediche di Milano,” 1807, Sem. I. p. 57; A. F. Gehlen’s Journal für die Chemie, Vol. I. pp. 54–88; VI. pp. 116–124; VIII. pp. 319–359; L. W. Gilbert, Annalen der Physik, Vols. VIII. pp. 284–299; XVI. pp. 89–94; XXIII. pp. 177–219; Philosophical Magazine, Vols. XXI. p. 187; XXV. pp. 57–66, 130–142; LIII. p. 321; Dr. Thos. Thomson’s Annals of Philosophy, Vol. XII. p. 228; Alfred Smee’s “Elements of Electro-Metallurgy,” History, pp. xxv-xxvi; Journal de Pharmacie, Vol. III. pp. 425, 426; J. Nauche, Journal du Galvanisme, etc., Vol. II. pp. 55–60; P. Sue, aîné, “Histoire du Galvanisme,” An. X, 1802, Vol. I. p. 305; II. pp. 263, 316, 320, 328; Annales de Chimie, Feb. 1818; for Brugnatelli, “Biblioth. Britan.,” Vol. XXXI., 1806, pp. 43, 122, 223 (pile végétale).
A.D. 1802.—Jäger (Karl Christoph Friedrich van), a well-known physicist of Wurtemberg and professor at Stuttgart, confirms by mathematical analysis the theory of electrical distribution and equilibrium, as will be seen by his papers in Gilbert’s Annalen der Physik, Vols. XII. pp. 123, 127; XIII. pp. 399–433; XXIII. pp. 59–84, and LII. pp. 81–108.
The views of Jäger were fully endorsed by Berzelius, who, like Scholz and Reinhold, endeavoured to extend them, and who says that we are indebted to the German physicist for actually the most complete elucidation of the theory of the voltaic pile.
In Vol. XLIX of Gilbert’s Annalen for 1815, pp. 47–66, will be found Jäger’s observations and experiments on Zamboni’s column as well as the papers of Zamboni and Deluc on dry piles. Dr. Thomson says that since Dr. Jäger found that, when the temperature was raised to 104 degrees, or as high as 140 degrees, the pile begins again to act as well as ever, we must conclude from this that dry paper, while cold, is a nonconductor of electricity, but that it becomes again a conductor when heated up to 104 degrees or 140 degrees.
References.—Poggendorff, Vol. I. pp. 1186, 1187; “Catalogue of Scientific Papers of the Royal Society,” Vol. III. p. 525; Jäger on the tourmaline in Gilbert’s Annalen for 1817, Vol. LV. pp. 369, 416, and Jäger, Bohnenberger and Zamboni in the Annalen for 1819, Vol. LXII. pp. 227–246; Figuier, “Expos. et Histoire,” 1857, Vol. IV. p. 433; Davy, “Bakerian Lectures,” 1840, pp. 44–56, on the “Agencies of Electricity.”
A.D. 1802.—Gale (T.), an American physician, publishes at Troy “Electricity or Ethereal Fire ... considered naturally, astronomically and medically, and comprehending both the theory and practice of medical electricity,” etc. Among other things, he describes at pp. 27, 28, various experiments made with his galvanometer; explains at pp. 46–64 how the Newtonian principles are erroneous; and shows at p. 264 how to extract lightning from the clouds; while at pp. 272, etc., are given directions for using electricity both as a sure preventive and cure of diseases.