296' HISTORY OF GALVANISM. 



phofphorefcent cither by friction or by the action of heat, and 

 the tremolite which it contains is intirely in the fame ftate. 

 There are many other dolomies alio which poiTefs no phofpho* 

 refcence, as has been alio obferved by the Abbe" Hauv. This 

 character therefore Hill belongs to the variety, and not to the 

 fpecies. 



XVI. 



Outline of the Hiftory of Galvanifm : with a Theory of the Action 

 of the Galvanic Apparatus. By John Bostock, M. D> 

 From the Author. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 



SIR, 



Tntioduaory XAAVING been lately employed in fome experimental in- 

 l ctter » quiries on the fubjecl of galvanifm, I found it commodious to 



arrange the numerous difcoveries that have been made in this 

 department of fcience into the hiflorical form. The fads, 

 which have been fucceffively developed begin to aflume fo 

 elevated a rank among the branches of natural philofophy, 

 that a fketch of the mod important and beft eflablifhed 

 amongft them fecms defirable, in order that the experimenter 

 may be eafily enabled to fee what has been done by his pre- 

 deceflbfs, and may thus be prevented from w r afting his time 

 and exertions upon points which have been previoufly inves- 

 tigated. From reflecting upon the labours of others, and com- 

 paring them with my own experiments, I have been led to 

 form a theory of the action of the galvanic pile, which feems 

 to explain in an eafy manner mod of its Angular properties, 

 I am indeed well aware of the undue attachment which every 

 one feels for the offspring of his own imagination, and I fhall 

 not be furprized if you perceive in the hypothefis many ble- 

 mifhes which have efcaped my notice. I have however fent 

 you both the hiftory and the theory, in order that you may 

 infert them in your Journal, if you think them deferving of a 

 place there. 



I am, SIR, 



Your obedient Servant, 



JOHN BOSTOCK, M. D, 

 jAterpool, June \, 1802. 



HISTORIC 



