before and after completion of the Voltaic Circuit, 295 



of the elements will not produce the effects ; on the contrary, 

 any alteration in the regular series'produces a corresponding 

 reduction of force, and any number of batteries arranged — 

 copper, liquid, jjinc, — will exactly neutralize the action of a 

 similar number arranged, — zinc, liquid, copper. 



25. The question I am now examining is, however, not 

 whether contact produces current, but whether it produces 

 electric development, and whether that development is accom- 

 panied by any chemical action ; and this necessarily involves 

 the question, whether the effects of current, or those usually 

 called voltaic, have the same efficient cause as the electro- 

 static. That certain effects can be produced independently of 

 any apparent chemical action, is not merely proved by expe- 

 riment with the water battery, but it is further confirmed by 

 many unexceptionable experiments ; among those for which I 

 may particularly claim attention, are those of M. Peclet, who 

 in describing them says, " I have only had in view static elec- 

 tricity developed by contact, I have not troubled myself about 

 currents when the circuit is closed*." 



26. The examination of M. Peclet's experiments, the inves- 

 tigation of the action of the voltaic series generally, and more 

 particularly of the water battery, seem to lead to the inference 

 that elective affinity is greatly concerned in the antecedent 

 action, of which chemical combinations, when the circuit is 

 closed, are the consequence. I might quote the particular ex- 

 periments of M. Peclet as an evidence of static effects having 

 been obtained without any apparent chemical combination ; 

 but, without attempting to follow out what may, perhaps, 

 somewhat fairly, be assumed as hypothetical cases, viz. those 

 in which tension does not appear to terminate in chemical 

 action, let us trace the process by iiohich tension rises in an in- 

 sidated pile, and the still furthet- process necessary to establish a 

 current. 



27. Two trays of the battery were carefully insulated as 

 before (19.) : if in this state one of the piles is touched by the 

 hand, its electric tension is apparently destroyed, the leaves 

 of the electroscope in connection collapsing; whilst those of 

 an electroscope attaclied to the other terminal obtain their ex- 

 treme divergence. If this battery be now left to itself, the 

 end which has been touched regains a certain amount of ten- 

 sion, and the leaves of the other electroscope collapse in pro- 

 portion : generally, the means of raising the tension of one 

 extremity of the battery is to touch the other. I do not mean 

 to assert that the tension of the end which was touched is en- 

 tirely destroyed, but certainly with 160 series, for the space of 



* AraUves de P Electrkitiy vol. i. p. 622, 



