Lesson xxi.] ELECTHICITIT. 133 



been made by philosophers of eminence and cele- 

 briiy, to gain a respectable place among its sister 

 sciences, it is rarely made an object of eager and 

 complete attention, or of that persevering activity, 

 by which alone it can rise to its proper consequence 

 and maturity. 



Before I conclude this lesson I must briefly 

 notice Galvanism or Voltaism, which embraces 

 the phaenome.na which result from different con- 

 ductors of Electricity being placed under different 

 circumstances of contacr. The conductors must 

 be either perfect or imperfect conductors of Elec- 

 tricity: and the Galvanic Phenomena may be pro- 

 duced by two conductors of one of these classes 

 placed in contact with each other, in one or more 

 points, and in other distinct points with a conduc- 

 tor of the other class : thus gold and zinc may be 

 made to touch each other, in some points, and may 

 be connected in other points, by a portion of 

 common water. 



To produce the Galvanic phenomena with any 

 considerable effect, several series of conductors, 

 thus disposed, should be employed. Then, not 

 only may an acid taste, a flash of light, the con- 

 tractions of muscles just detached from a living 

 body, the oxidizement of metals, and the decom- 

 position of acids and of water, be produced ; but 

 shocks on the human body analogous to the 

 electric shock, and brilliant sparks, with the de- 

 flagration of even silver and gold, may also be oc- 

 casioned by this fluid, under certain circumstances. 

 Fabrtni, in Nicholson's Journal for 1800, noticing 



the 



