86 Sir Oliver Lodge on a Pertinacious Current. [March 24, 



the valves a number of pulses are all stored in a Leyden jar or other 

 suitable condenser able to stand excessive tension without overflowing, 

 except in the direction and for the purpose desired. And thus along 

 this overflow or discharge path the intermittence is superseded, and a 

 continuous current of excessively high tension is maintained, as if it 

 were coming from a battery of an enormous number of cells. Thus 

 can be maintained a steady discharge from a series of points, with 

 audible and persistent fizzy noise ; thus also can an X-ray bulb of 

 high exhaustion be kept steadily illuminated for the production of 

 very penetrating rays. And if such a current be taken through a 

 highly resisting conductor like a damp string, the string begins first 

 to steam, then to glow, then to char and sparkle in places, then to 

 catch fire and char throughout, then to break and interrupt the 

 current, except in so far as it can jump the gap in a torrent of very 

 noisy sparks. 



[0. L.] 



