86 HISTORY OF GALVANISM. 



with the apparatus, or removed from it ; but that 

 no effect took place as long as they remained in 

 contact. When the interrupted circuit was applied 

 between the extremities of the pile, the shock 

 might be felt, but it was rendered less violent; 

 and the chemical effects were diminished, but not 

 suspended, while the contact of the body was pre- 

 served : hence it may be inferred, that the body 

 is about an equally good conductor with water. 

 The retardation of the current appeared to be 

 rather greater in this case, than where the appa- 

 ratus was supplied with pure water. 



The pile was now dissected in the same three 

 ways as before, muriate of soda in solution being 

 employed instead of water. In the first dissec- 

 tion, i. e. with the moistened cloths between the 

 plates, the same electric effects were exhibited 

 by the electrometers, the same shock was felt, and 

 the same chemical effects were produced, only in 

 rather a less degree than in the continuous pile, 

 with muriate of soda. The second and third dis- 

 sections of the pile produced exactly the same ef- 

 fect, as when the same dissections were employed 

 with pure water. 



Hypothesis The author afterwards enters upon a number of 

 speculations respecting the manner in which the 

 circulates through the apparatus, and 



chemical upon the immediate cause of the electrical and 



chemical phenomena. He conceives, that when 



no cause of retardation exists, the electric fluid 



^circulates so rapidly through the pile, as not to ex- 



