1812.
Æt. 20-1.
posed; fifteen other plates of each metal are formed into a pile with pasteboard, both it and the flannel being soaked in a solution of common salt. These two piles are connected together, and their combined action employed as I before stated. The flash from it, when applied to the gums or eyes, is very vivid, and the action on the tongue, when in contact with the edges, will not allow it to remain there.
'With respect to your second solution of the passage of the metals, I have not time at present to think of it, nor have I room to say more than that I thank you for all on that subject; wait till I have heard of your experiments. Good-night.
'Wednesday morning, six o'clock.
'I can now only state facts, opinions you shall have next time. On looking at the pile this morning, I found that the muriate of ammonia had been decomposed, the alkali separated at the negative wire and escaped; this was evident last night by the cloud it formed with muriatic acid. The acid acted on the copper wire, and a muriate of copper was formed; this was again decomposed; and now I find the negative wire covered with a vegetation of copper, and the positive wire eaten away very considerably. The solution is of a fine blue colour, owing to the ammoniate of copper. On turning to the piles, I found the action of one considerable, the other was exhausted: the first contained the flannel discs, and they were yet very moist; the other had the paper discs, and they were quite dry: of course you know why the action ceased? On looking to the state of the plates particularly, I found but one in the pile containing flannel that was in the state I before noticed, that is, it being zinc and