412 Mr. Faraday's Researches in Electricity. {Series XL) 



none of its opponents are more anxious for the discovery of 

 truth than those whom Mr. PhiHips has honoured with the 

 title of expounders of the doctrine of isomorphism ; we may 

 have an unfortunate prejudice in favour of collecting and col- 

 lating all known facts, before we venture to pronounce a de- 

 cided opinion upon a difficult question, but we will not yield 

 to them in love for the truth. We are willing to hope, how- 

 ever, that though we seem at present to be searching for the 

 same truth in different directions, we may ultimately find our 

 paths converge to one point, at which point we shall all, 

 expounders and opponents, meet together, and at length 

 agree *. 

 Durham, Sept. 12, 1838. 



LV. Experimental Researches in Electricity. — Eleventh Series. 

 By Michael Faraday, Esq., D.C.L. F.R.S. Fullerian 

 Prof. Chem. Royal Institution, Corr. Memb. Royal and Imp. 

 Acadd. of Sciences, Paris, Petersburgh, Florence, Copenha- 

 gen, Berlin, ^c. S^x. 



[Continued from p. 367, and concluded.] 

 ^ v. On specif c Induction, or Specific inductive Capacity. 

 12B2. T NOW proceed to examine the great question of 

 A specific inductive capacity, i. e. whether different 

 dielectric bodies actually do possess any influence over the 

 degree of induction which takes place through them. If any 

 such difference should exist, it appeared to me not only of 

 high importance in the further comprehension of the laws 

 and results of induction, but an additional and very powerful 

 argument for the theory I have ventured to put forth, that 

 the whole depends upon a molecular action, in contradistinc- 

 tion to one at sensible distances. 



The question may be stated thus : suppose A an electri- 

 fied plate of metal suspended in the air, and B and C two 

 exactly similar plates, placed parallel to and on each side of 

 A at equal distances and uninsulated ; A will then induce 

 equally towards B and C. If in this position of the plates 

 some other dielectric than air, as shell-lac, be introduced be- 

 tween A and C, will the induction between them remain the 

 same? Will the relation of C and B to A be unaltered, notwith- 

 standing the difference of the dielectrics interposed between 

 them ? 



1253. As far as I recollect, it is assumed that no change 



* If Mr. Phillips will look at the formula for chabasie given in the table, 

 his difficulty about the mutual replacement of potash and soda ivill or 

 ought to disappear. 



