concerned in the Phenomena of ordinary Electricity, fyc. 199 



thus venturing to dissent from universally accredited opinions : 

 I shall therefore enter into a critical examination of the chief 

 arguments which have been made use of to establish the alleged 

 identity. In doing so, I shall take occasion to refer to the expla- 

 nations of these phsenomena suggested by the views developed 

 in the preceding pages of this essay, relative to the presumed 

 compound nature of the electric fluid which with this object I 

 stated in the commencement. 



Professor Faraday informs us, that at the period when he un- 

 dertook the investigation of the agent concerned in these phse- 

 nomena, the question of identity was as yet undecided. He 

 says, " Notwithstanding, therefore, the general impression of 

 the identity of electricities, it is evident that the proofs have 

 not been sufficiently clear and distinct to obtain assent of all 

 those who were competent to consider the subject :" hence his 

 investigations rendered it necessary for him to " ascertain the 

 identity or difference of common and voltaic electricity." — (266.) 



Being assured by so high an authority that, up to the period 

 indicated, the question was doubtful, and having long felt a 

 strong impression that the identity, far from being established, 

 was rendered more problematical by every newly-discovered fact 

 when viewed without prepossession or prejudice, I was anxious 

 to put myself in a condition to appreciate Professor Faraday's 

 reasonings. To these I have therefore addressed myself, aware 

 that if they do not establish their object, tbe question which so 

 long occupied the attention of inquirers would return to that 

 original state of doubt in which this eminent philosopher found 

 it, when, as he declares, he deemed a resumption of the investi- 

 gation necessary. 



The vast difference of properties observable in electric and 

 voltaic phamomena has been conceived to be explicable on the 

 supposition, that in the former the quantity of electricity is small 

 and the intensity great ; while in the latter, the quantity is great 

 and the intensity low. Professor Faraday thus expresses this 

 universally accredited proposition : " Hence arises still further 

 confirmation, if any were required, of the identity of common 

 and voltaic electricity, and that the differences of intensity and 

 quantity are quite sufficient to account for what were supposed 

 to be their distinctive qualities*." Again, he says, "The great 

 distinction of the electricities (common and voltaic) is the very 

 high tension to which the small quantity, obtained by the aid of 

 the machine, may be raised ; and the enormous quantity in which 

 that of comparatively low tension, supplied by the voltaic bat- 

 tery, may be pi ocuredf." In another place he says, "The general 

 conclusion which must, I think, be drawn from this collection of 

 * Researches, par. 378. Sec also 360. f Ibid. 451. 



