234 MEMOEIAL OF JOSEPH HENRY. 



equipment. He remarks : "As its magnetic flow was so powei;ful, 

 I had strong hopes of being able to accomplish the decomposition 

 of water by its means. My experiment however proved unsuccess- 

 ful. _ _ _ I hope however to resume the research hereafter, 

 under more favorable circumstances."* 



Henry, unsatisfied with past efforts, determined to pursue the 

 subject in an exhaustive series of experiments; and had reached 

 some momentary indications of the galvanometer, when his experi- 

 ments were temporarily interrupted. Meanwhile it was announced 

 in May, 1832, that Faraday had secured the long sought prize; 

 though the announcement was brief, and to those eager for particu- 

 lars, somewhat disappointing. Henry was accordingly induced to 

 publish in the following number of Silliman's Journal (that for 

 July) a sketch of his own trials both before and after the announced 

 discovery. With reference to Faraday's discovery he remarks: 

 " No detail is given of the experiments, and it is somewhat sur- 

 prising that results so interesting, and whicih certainly form a new 

 era in the history of electricity and magnetism, should not have 

 been more fully described before this time in some of the English 

 publications. The only mention I have found of them is the fol- 

 lowing short account from the 'Annals of Philosophy' for April, 

 under the head of Proceedings of the Royal Institution. — 'Feb. 17. 

 Mr. Faraday gave an account of the first two parts of his researches 

 in electricity ; namely volta-electric induction, and magneto-electric 

 induction. - - - If a wire connected at both extremities with 

 a galvanometer, be coiled in the form of a helix around a magnet, 

 no current of electricity takes place in it. This is an experiment 

 which has been made by various persons hundreds of times, in the 

 hope of evolving electricity from magnetism. But if the magnet 

 be withdrawn from or introduced into such a helix, a current of 

 electricity is produced while the magnet is in motion, and is rendered 

 evident by the deflection of the galvanometer. If a single wire be 

 passed by a magnetic pole, a current of electricity is induced through 

 it which can be rendered sensible.' f 



♦ SlHiman's Am. Jour. Sci. April, 1831, vol. xx. p. 201, foot-note. 



^Philosopli. Mag. and Annals of Phil. April, 1832, vol. xi. pp. 300, 301. [Although 

 "FAKADAY'a first communication on galvanic induction, and on magncto-clec- 

 trlclty, was read before the Royal Society November 24, 1831, the published Trans- 



