296 HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY. 



He says, 1 that though, in Davy's celebrated Memoir of 1806, the points 

 established are of the utmost value, the mode of action by which the 

 effects take place is stated very generally ; so generally, indeed, that 

 probably a dozen precise schemes of electro-chemical action might be 

 drawn up, differing essentially from each other, yet all agreeing with 

 the statement there given." And at a period a little later, being 

 reproached by Davy's brother with injustice in this expression, he sub- 

 stantiated his assertion by an enumeration of twelve such schemes 

 which had been published. 



But yet we cannot look upon this Memoir of 1806, otherwise than 

 as a great event, perhaps the most important event of the epoch now 

 under review. And as such it was recognized at once all over Europe. 

 In particular, it received the distinguished honor of being crowned by 

 the Institute of France, although that country and England were 

 then engaged in fierce hostility. Buonaparte had proposed a prize of 

 sixty thousand francs " to the person who by his experiments and dis- 

 coveries should advance the knowledge of electricity and galvanism, 

 ^as much as Franklin and Volta did;" and "of three thousand francs 

 for the best experiment which should be made in the course of each 

 year on the galvanic fluid ;" the latter prize was, by the First Class of 

 the Institute, awarded to Davy. 



From this period he rose rapidly to honors and distinctions, and 

 reached a height of scientific fame as great as has ever fallen to the 

 lot of a discoverer in so short a time. I shall not, however, dwell ou 

 such circumstances, but confine myself to the progress of my subject. 



Sect. 2. Establishment of the Electro-chemical Theory by Faraday. 



THE defects of Davy's theoretical views will be seen most clearly by 

 explaining what Faraday added to them. Michael Faraday was in 

 every way fitted and led to become Davy's successor in his great ca- 

 reer of discovery. In 1812, being then a bookseller's apprentice, he 

 attended the lectures of Davy, which at that period excited the high- 

 est admiration.' " My desire to escape from trade," Mr. Faraday says, 

 " which I thought vicious and selfish, and to enter into the service of 

 science, which I imagined made its pursuers amiable and liberal, in- 

 duced me at last to take the bold and simple step of writing to Sir IT. 

 Davy." He was favorably received, and, in the next year, became 



* Researches, 482. 9 Paris, ii. 3. 



