Explanation of Assimilation 341 



For this purpose let us suppose in conformity with the 

 hypothesis set forth above that one could construct an 

 elementary electric accumulator capable of furnishing a 

 single given intensity or specificity of current and that its 

 electro-motive force or difference of potential between the 

 poles is proportional to the mass of substance constituting 

 its charge ; as if each new increment however small of this 

 mass constituted an element by itself which would be 

 added in serial order to the others. 



Let us consider two of these accumu- 

 lators, A and A', inserted with their 

 poles inverted in the same circuit. Sup- 

 pose they are quite identical, except 

 that the one, A', is entirely without 

 charge, and the other, A, has its full 

 charge. Let us suppose now that the 

 current, c, generated by A which tends 

 to charge A' can under certain circum- 

 stances cause an oscillatory discharge, 

 i. e., a continuous oscillation of the 

 current, now in the direction of c, now 

 in the contrary direction c', and that certain external alternating 

 currents could induce in the oscillating circuit sinusoidal electro- 

 motive forces of the same frequence as this oscillating discharge 

 and thereby strengthen the sinusoidal electro-motor force of the 

 latter which at the beginning was determined by the original dif- 

 ference in charge of the two accumulators A and A'. 



Then with each half oscillation the one accumulator 

 will become more strongly charged in proportion as the 

 other discharges, and there will be produced as a final 

 result of the series of oscillations a consequent continual 

 increase of the total mass of the two accumulators A and 

 A', as long as the saline solution serving as their common 

 aliment is not insufficient. 



If the amount of electro-motive force contributed by 

 the induction current at each oscillation is proportional 



