335.  I have assumed, in accordance, I believe, with the opinion of every other philosopher, that atmospheric electricity is of the same nature with ordinary electricity (284.), and I might therefore refer to certain published statements of chemical effects produced by the former as proofs that the latter enjoys the power of decomposition in common with voltaic electricity.  But the comparison I am drawing is far too rigorous to allow me to use these statements without being fully assured of their accuracy; yet I have no right to suppress them, because, if accurate, they establish what I am labouring to put on an undoubted foundation, and have priority to my results.

336.  M. Bonijol of Geneva[A] is said to have constructed very delicate apparatus for the decomposition of water by common electricity.  By connecting an insulated lightning rod with his apparatus, the decomposition of the water proceeded in a continuous and rapid manner even when the electricity of the atmosphere was not very powerful.  The apparatus is not described; but as the diameter of the wire is mentioned as very small, it appears to have been similar in construction to that of Wollaston (327.); and as that does not furnish a case of true polar electro-chemical decomposition (328.), this result of M. Bonijol does not prove the identity in chemical action of common and voltaic electricity.

  [A] Bibliotheque Universelle, 1830, tome xlv. p. 213.

337.  At the same page of the Bibliotheque Universelle, M. Bonijol is said to have decomposed, potash, and also chloride of silver, by putting them into very narrow tubes and passing electric sparks from an ordinary machine over them.  It is evident that these offer no analogy to cases of true voltaic decomposition, where the electricity only decomposes when it is conducted by the body acted upon, and ceases to decompose, according to its ordinary laws, when it passes in sparks.  These effects are probably partly analogous to that which takes place with water in Pearson’s or Wollaston’s apparatus, and may be due to very high temperature acting on minute portions of matter; or they may be connected with the results in air (322.).  As nitrogen can combine directly with oxygen under the influence of the electric spark (324.), it is not impossible that it should even take it from the potassium of the potash, especially as there would be plenty of potassa in contact with the acting particles to combine with the nitric acid formed.  However distinct all these actions may be from true polar electro-chemical decompositions, they are still highly important, and well-worthy of investigation.