DEVELOPMENT OF THE TELEPHONE 



ance of a long bobbin or a spool of wire fastened upon 

 an ordinary box. 



If a musician, stationed before the opening of the tube 

 of the receiving-box, played upon such an instrument 

 as the violin or cornet, the sounds were recorded by 

 the vibrations on the membrane and platinum disk, 

 by means of the point, causing a series of breaks in the 

 current which could be conveyed by wire to the rod and 

 bobbin of the receiver at a considerable distance. By 

 this arrangement various airs and melodies might be 

 heard and distinguished, although it was impossible 

 to distinguish different qualities of tone. That is, while 

 the melody itself could be readily distinguished it was 

 impossible to tell whether the instrument playing was a 

 violin, flute, or cornet. This instrument was not, 

 therefore, a speaking telephone, but simply a "musical 

 telephone," as it was called. 



BOURSEUL SUGGESTS AN ELECTRICAL TELEPHONE 



In 1854 Mr. Charles Bourseul made the definite sug- 

 gestion of the possibility of speech being transmitted by 

 electrical means. At that time, although Bourseul's 

 statement was made with scientific knowledge of the 

 subject and by logical deduction based on that knowl- 

 edge, scientists were not inclined to agree with him as to 

 the possibility of this suggestion in actual practice. This 

 communication, however, had the effect of calling at- 

 tention to the subject, and paving the way for the in- 

 vention of the speaking telephone. In his paper Bour- 

 seul said, in part: 



