HISTORY OF GALVANISM. 45 



made to communicate by intervening wires. The 

 general conclusions with which he sums up this 

 interesting paper, are, that the galvanic fluid re- 

 sembles the electric in the repulsive property of 

 its particles, and that the different phenomena de- 

 pend upon variations in the quantity and velocity 

 of the fluid * 



An elaborate set of experiments was published Lehot's ob- 

 about this period by Lehot, on the direction of J^thed?- 8 

 the galvanic current. This subject had also occu- Recurrent, 

 pied the attention of Biot, and it was generally ad- 

 mitted that its course was from the zinc plate, 

 across the fluid, to the silver or copper plate.f 



A circumstance of some importance 4n our view Erman's 

 of the action of the pile, was pointed out by Erman the name" 

 of Berlin ; he remarks, that the action takes place, of the ex " 



' treinities. 



not between the metals, but between the metal 

 and the fluid ; therefore, in designating the end 

 of the pile, we should say that the zinc end is the 

 negative, and the copper the positive. Nicholson 

 and Cruickshanks supposed the apparatus to be 

 constructed of copper, zinc, fluid ; but it would be 

 more correct to say, zinc, fluid, copper, as in 

 this arrangement we have the complete circle. :(: 

 A similar remark was made by Priestley, who Priestley's, 

 was at this time performing experiments on gal- 

 vanism in America. He says, that no alteration 

 is produced in the apparatus by whatever metal is 



* Journ. de Phys, liii. 264. f Ibid. Hi. 135. 

 Ibid. liii. 121. 



