136 ON THE GALVANIC PHENOMENA. 



Narrative of ex- I began by fhewing you, by means of experiments, delicate 



penments, indeed but yet fimple, that phenomena unequivocally electrical 



are produced by the mere contact of two different metals, 



without the intervention of any wet fubftance — experiments 



which ought to be confidered as fundamental. 



Electrometer In order to render this electricity (which is fo feeble that 



on en ers. w ; t h out other artifices it would remain imperceptible) fenfiblc 



and manifeft, I employ my electrometers with fine llraws, 



combined with my condeniers, the beft of which are thofe 



made with two metallic difes, which apply very exactly to, 



each other by their faces, which are very flat, and covered 



with a flight layer of fealing wax, or, which is better, of good 



lac varnifli. 



Infulated difes of The fij-fl; method of performing this experiment was to take 



are applied tcge- tw0 otner difes or plates, the one of copper and the other of 



ther. zinc ; to hold each by an inflating handle (of glafs covered 



with fealing wax) ; to apply them for an inftant to each other 



by their flat faces, and afterwards feparating them dextrpufly. 



On the fepara- to bring them into contact with the electrometer, which then 



was el* + Z "and indicated, by the divergence of its flraws, to the distance of 



the copper el.-— . about a line from each other, the electricity which each of the 



plates had acquired, and whether the electricity was pofitive 



(or el. -f-) m tne zinc, and negative (or el. — ) in the copper, 



as could be fhewn by approaching a flick of fealing wax, 



that had been rubbed, to the fame electrometer. 



Theft; plates not It is proper to obferve in this experiment, that the two, 



eleitrTriT * but P^ ates ' at tne ^ ame ^ me tnat tne y are mot0rs of ek&ricily by 

 ctndenfelu virtue of their mutual contact, as different metals, perform 



alfo the function of condeniers, becaufe they are prefented the 

 one to the other by a large furface, in confequence of which 

 their contrary electricities are counterbalanced in the befl pof- 

 fible manner. This is the reafon why this pofitive electricity 

 in the plate of zinc, and negative in that of copper, which 

 ctherwife would not rife to more than about a fixteenth of a 

 degree, and w r hich in fact does not rife higher as long as thefe 

 fame plates remain applied the one to the other, elevates it- 

 fe\f, on detaching them, to I, ]•£, or 2 degrees, and even 

 more. 

 To increafe the This degree of electricity may appear trifling ; it does not 

 jthc^LTwhere ratis fy fome perfons, who always wifh to fee effeas exempli- 

 Meparated, arc fietj upon a large fcale. Be it fo. In order to obtain electri- 

 cal 



