SCIENCE IN THE INDUSTRIAL WORLD 



small bubbles which were given off at the two points of 

 metal in the fluid. Streams of these bubbles appeared 

 at these points as soon as the current was turned on, 

 ceasing as soon as it was turned off. In other words, the 

 closing and opening of the circuit could be detected 

 almost instantly by observing the bubbles given off by 

 the metal points. This discovery of the action of a 

 galvanic current was at once utilized by Sommerring to 

 produce a semi-practical telegraph. 



Sommerring's first invention was made with a glass 

 jar containing acidulated water into which protruded 

 five metal points. Each of these points was connected 

 with a voltaic battery by wires so arranged that when any 

 two of them were touched with a metal handle made for 

 the purpose, a circuit was completed and bubbles of 

 gas were given off from the two corresponding metal 

 points in the water. By including a certain number of 

 wires or points, or by working a definite number in 

 combination, messages could be sent by this chemical 

 telegraph. 



Sommerring, continuing his experiment, finally ar- 

 ranged a sort of code whereby telegraphic signals could 

 be sent and interpreted by a process considerably sim- 

 plified over the original form. His simplest telegraph, 

 however, was one in which each of the letters of the 

 alphabet was represented by a metal point in the glass 

 jar containing the fluid. At the base of each point the 

 letter was marked so that it could be read instantly by 

 the receiver. In this way a simple stream of bubbles 

 given off by a metal point indicated that a certain 

 letter was to be used in making up the words of the 



