Experiments and Ohfervai'wns on the Galvanic Power, 4j 



{hock, when the men feel little or nothing ; this even happens when only two perfons are 

 in that Htuation, and with whatever Cde of the pile they may be conne£ted, and when one 

 woman flood between two men. ^ 



I believe we owe to the learned profeflbr of botany, in this univerfity, the obfervation, 

 that plants are not conduflors of the Galvanic influence; a moft ftriking diftin£lion be- 

 twixt it and the ele£tric fluid : I connected the pile, in its ftrongeft ftate, with the ftalk of 

 a live and herbaceous plant, the ftem of which was even moiftened with fait water. The 

 {hock could not be procured from any part of the plant, however near to the wire, and one 

 of its leaves applied to the wire, fufficiently interrupted the Galvanic power* 



The Galvanic fpark procured from charcoal, has a very different appearance from the 

 ele<3ric received in the fame way ; the former being of a red colour, and refting upon the 

 eye, whilft the latter, nptwithflanding its fupcrior velocity, can be diftindtly perceived, to 

 have the blueifh caft of burning fulphur. 



The intention of this communication will be fully anfwered, next to preferving a memorial 

 of a perfon defervedly dear to all his friends : if I (hall be found to have added a drop to 

 the ocean of fcience, or to have facilitated in the fmalleft degree, the purfuits of others on 

 the fame fubje£t, 



I am, SIR, 



with great refpeft, 



A FRIEND TO THE EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH OF TRUTH. 



Figure lit. A A reprefents the black lead crucibles, and as a range for Galvanic expe- 

 riments. B B the conneding wires, to which pieces of zinc, as C, are attached by 

 folder. 



Figure 2d. is the pile bax, of which D D D D D are the fpaces, in which the piles ftand. 

 The fhelf E E E, moveable eafily for two thirds of the height of the box, by means of the 

 rod F F, which paflies through the top of the box, and may be faftened by the flat wedge 

 G ; the rod is preferable to a fcrew, being lefs hurt by moifture. 

 • Figure 3 is the Ihelf E, taken out to fliew the manner in which it is formed. 



Fig. 4, is one of the divifions of the box which are expreffed by H H, in Fig. 2, I being 

 cut out for the (helf to run in. 



N. B. A front piece (huts the box, by Aiding in a groove, on each fide from the top 

 downwards, which is Hoped away at the edges, and can be thrufl: under the bafe of the 

 box ; which gives it an inclination backwards, that facilitates the building of the pile to 

 any height. I have lately much improved the box, by lining it with oiled filk, with a view 

 to prevent the wood from abforbing moifture. 



* I have undoubted information that a portion of the aloe-pIant, which was placed for a night in the 

 conneiting line of a pile of 36 half crowns and zinc* was killed by its aftion, the other parts remaining 

 Mnhurt." -N-. 



- Third: 



