. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. 390 RECENT PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. Fi?. 158. duces muriatic acid. But these acids are also oxydized at the positive pole, and thus this process of oxydation is continued until the whole of the chlorine in the solution is either changed into per-chloric acid or evolved in the gaseous form. These phenomena of decomposition may be explained by supposing the decomposition of water to be the primary, the oxydation of the acid the secondary, effect.
. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. 390 RECENT PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. Fi?. 158. duces muriatic acid. But these acids are also oxydized at the positive pole, and thus this process of oxydation is continued until the whole of the chlorine in the solution is either changed into per-chloric acid or evolved in the gaseous form. These phenomena of decomposition may be explained by supposing the decomposition of water to be the primary, the oxydation of the acid the secondary, effect. Daniell's theory of the electrolysis of solu- tions of salts is here entirely inapplicable. According to this theory, the salt should be considered as K -\- (C, CI3) 83 Og; the acid combi- nation at the positive pole ought to be separated into two equivalents of sulphuric acid and the insoluble sesqui-chloride of carbon Cj CI3. The oxydation of the chlorine absolutely requires the supposition of a primary decomposition of water. § 180. Eledrolysisof valerianic and acetic acid.—Kolbe, by subjecting organic substances to electrolysis, and accurately observing the course of their decompositions, has initiated a method which promises to become of great importance to science. We shall here follow Kolbe's researches as far as is necessary for the comprehension of the electrolytic part of the phenomena^ without entering upon the discussions of the consti- tution of the organic substances examined. Kolbe's memoir on the electrolysis of organic compounds is to be ibund in full in the Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, vol. LXIX, page 257. As free valerianic acid is a bad conductor of the galvanic current, Kolbe used for the electrolytic de- composition a concentrated aque- ous solution of its potassa salt. The decomposition-apparatus was arranged, as shown in fig. 158. The glass-cylinder was about 11 inches high and 2\ inches wide. The exterior metallic cylinder was of copper, the in
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