Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 69.djvu/423

Rh platinum forming the other pole ; the electrolyte is dilute hydrochloric acid. Platinum wires sealed through the sides of No. 3 carry the current from three Grove's cells to the interior. After the apparatus has had generator No. 1 removed, a large quantity of hydrogen is passed through from the second generator, with the object of replacing the impure hydrogen by some of a purer quality. When No. 2 is exhausted, it also is sealed off at B, leaving only the third generator with its drying tubes connected with the apparatus. Before sealing off No. 2, filling and exhausting is carried on until the hydrogen shows no impurity when spectroscopically examined in a capillary tube attached to the vacuum tube. The gas from the first and second generators bubbles first through strong caustic soda, C, C, C, to remove any acid

FIG. 5.

Ice ^die/-

over from the generators, then through strong sulphuric acid, D, to take away the bulk of the moisture, and thus save the drying tubes ; it then passes through the purifying arrangements more especially connected with the third generator. Having sealed off Nos. 1 and 2, gas is evolved from No. 3 generator. Hence it passes through strong sulphuric acid in the tube H; then over a tube filled with granulated caustic soda, F ; and next through a tube, G, tightly packed with phosphoric anhydride. H and I are two taps, having a reservoir, K, between them. When full of gas, H and I are closed, and the tubes L and M, after having been exhausted to a high point, can then be fed with limited amounts of pure dry hydrogen by slightly opening tap I, and closing it when equilibrium is restored between L, M, and K. N is a spiral of narrow glass tubing immersed in a beaki-: of ice and water. At is a tap to keep mercury from diffusing into the pump if the apparatus has to be left all night. The vacuum tube, L, is provided with aluminium poles, and the tube M has the platinum poles made double for heating purposes, as shown in fig. 3.

Hydrogen from the first generator was passed through the apparatus for two hours, when it was sealed off. The whole apparatus was