178 THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



In a paper communicated to the Royal Society in 

 1806, On Some Chemical Agencies of Electricity ', 

 Davy put on record the result of years of experiment. 

 For example, as stated by his biographer, he had con- 

 nected a cup of gypsum with one of agate by means 

 of asbestos, and filling each with purified water, had 

 inserted the negative wire of the battery in the 

 agate cup, and the positive wire in that of the sul- 

 phate of lime. In about four hours he had found a 

 strong solution of lime in the agate cup, and sul- 

 phuric acid in the cup of gypsum. On his reversing 

 the arrangement, and carrying on the process for a 

 similar length of time, the sulphuric acid appeared in 

 the agate cup, and the solution of lime on the opposite 

 side. It was thus that he studied the transfer of cer- 

 tain of the constituent parts of bodies by the action 

 of electricity. "It is very natural to suppose," says 

 Davy, " that the repellent and attractive energies are 

 communicated from one particle to another particle 

 of the same kind, so as to establish a conducting 

 chain in the fluid. There may be a succession of 

 decompositions and recompositions before the elec- 

 trolysis is complete." 



The publication of this paper in 1806 attracted 

 much attention abroad, and gained for him in spite 

 of the fact that England and France were then at 

 war a medal awarded, under an arrangement insti- 

 tuted by Napoleon a few years previously, for the best 

 experimental work on the subject of electricity. 

 " Some people," said Davy, " say I ought not to ac- 

 cept this prize; and there have been foolish para- 

 graphs in the papers to that effect ; but if the two 

 countries or governments are at war, the men of 



