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Remarks on Certain Statements of Mr Faraday, contained in 

 the Fourth and Fifth Series of his " Experimental Researches 

 in Electricity.''' By John Davy, M. D., F. R. S * Com- 

 municated by the Author. 



In the Fourth Series of the Researches above named, pub- 

 lished in the Philosophical Transactions for 1833, at page 511, 

 Mr Faraday has made the following statement in a note. 



" In 1801, Sir H. Davy knew that ' dry nitre, caustic pot- 

 ash and soda, are conductors of galvanism when rendered fluid, 

 by a high degree of heat' {Journals of the Royal Institution, 

 180S, p. 53) ; but was not aware of the general law which I 

 have been engaged in developing. It is remarkable that, ele- 

 ven years after that, he should say, ' there are no fluids known 

 except such as contain water, which are capable of being made 

 the medium of connexion between the metal or metals of the 

 voltaic apparatus." — Elements of Chemical Philosophy, p. 169- 



In the Fifth Series of his Researches, published in the same 

 volume of the Transactions, Mr Faraday quotes this passage 

 a second time at page 681 ; and also another passage from my 

 brother's Elements of Chemical Philosophy, that " when any 

 substance rendered fluid by heat, consisting of water, oxygen, 

 and inflammable or metallic matter, is exposed to the wires of 

 the voltaic battery, similar phenomena of decomposition occur." 

 And, in the next paragraph, Mr Faraday adds, " In 1826 he 

 (Sir H. Davy) also pointed out that bodies not containing wa- 

 ter, as fused litharge and chlorate of potassa, were sufficient to 

 form, with platina and zinc, powerful electro-motive circles ; 

 but he is here speaking (continues Mr Faraday) of the produc- 

 tion of electricity in the pile, and not of its eff'ects when evolved; 

 nor do his words at all imply that any correction of his former 

 distinct statements relative to decomposition was required." 



Now, as in these statements Mr Faraday does not appear to 

 me to be just to my brother, nor correct, I trust the Royal So- 

 ciety will allow me to offer a few remarks in vindication, in do-' 

 ing which, I shall be as concise as possible, from the conviction, 



• Read before the Royal Society of London, on 22d January 1835. 

 VOL. XIX. NO. XXXVIII. OCTOBER 1835. T 



