Electro-Chemical Decomposition       47
conduct electricity of this low intensity; there are some which
conduct it and are not decomposed; nor is fluidity essential to
decomposition.1
 184.	There is but one body yet discovered 2 which, insulating
a voltaic current when solid, and conducting it when fluid., is
not decomposed in the latter case (150).
 185.	There is no strict electrical distinction of conduction
which can; as yet, be drawn between bodies supposed to be
elementary, and those known to be compounds.
April 15, 1833.
in3
is-
ON ELECTRO-CHEMICAL DECOMPOSITION. <[[ i. NEW CON-
DITIONS OF ELECTRO-CHEMICAL DECOMPOSITION. ^f ii.
INFLUENCE OF WATER IN ELECTRO-CHEMICAL DECOMPO-
SITION. <[[ iii. THEORY OF ELECTRO-CHEMICAL DECOM-
POSITION
§ 5. On Electro-chemical Decomposition 4
186. I have in a recent series of these Researches (i) proved
(to my own satisfaction, at least) the identity of electricities
derived from different sources, and have especially dwelt upon
the proofs of the sameness of those obtained by the use of the
common electrical machine and the voltaic battery.
187. The great distinction of the electricities obtained from
these two sources is the very high tension to which the small
quantity obtained by aid of the machine may be raised, and
the enormous quantity (107, 112) in which that of compara-
tively low tension, supplied by the voltaic battery, may be pro-
cured; but as their actions, whether magnetical,'chemical, or
of any other nature, are essentially the same (96), it appeared
evident that we might reason from the former as to the manner
of action of the latter; and it was, to me, a probable conse-
quence, that the use of electricity of such intensity as that
afforded by the machine, would, when applied to effect and
1 See the next part of these Experimental Researches.
* It is just possible that this case may, by more delicate experiment.,
hereafter disappear.
3	Fifth Series, original edition, vol. i. p. 127.
4	Refer to the note after paragraph 783.—December 1838.