773. _Acetic acid._--Glacial acetic acid, when fused (405.), is not decomposed by, nor does it conduct, electricity. On adding a little water to it, still there were no signs of action; on adding more water, it acted slowly and about as pure water would do. Dilute sulphuric acid was added to it in order to make it a better conductor; then the definite proportion of hydrogen was evolved at the _cathode_, and a mixture of oxygen in very deficient quantity, with carbonic acid, and a little carbonic oxide, at the _anode_. Hence it appears that acetic acid is not electrolyzable, but that a portion of it is decomposed by the oxygen evolved at the _anode_, producing secondary results, varying with the strength of the acid, the intensity of the current, and other circumstances. 774. _Acetates._--One of these has been referred to already, as affording only secondary results relative to the acetic acid (749.). With many of the metallic acetates the results at both electrodes are secondary (746. 750.). Acetate of soda fused and anhydrous is directly decomposed, being, as I believe, a true electrolyte, and evolving soda and acetic acid at the _cathode_ and _anode_. These however have no sensible duration, but are immediately resolved into other substances; charcoal, sodiuretted hydrogen, &c., being set free at the former, and, as far as I could judge under the circumstances, acetic acid mingled with carbonic oxide, carbonic acid, &c. at the latter. 775. _Tartaric acid._--Pure solution of tartaric acid is almost as bad a conductor as pure water. On adding sulphuric acid, it conducted well, the results at the positive electrode being primary or secondary in different proportions, according to variations in the strength of the acid and the power of the electric current (752.). Alkaline tartrates gave a large proportion of secondary results at the positive electrode. The hydrogen at the negative electrode remained constant unless certain triple metallic salts were used. 776. Solutions, of salts containing other vegetable acids, as the benzoates; of sugar, gum, &c., dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid; of resin, albumen, &c., dissolved in alkalies, were in turn submitted to the electrolytic power of the voltaic current. In all these cases, secondary results to a greater or smaller extent were produced at the positive electrode.