Galvanic Batteries. 137 



Art. XIX. — Galvanic Batteries. — On the Benefit of Fresh Im- 

 mersion; by Charles G. Page, M. D., Washington, D. 0. 



The fact is familiar, that the first few moments of immersion 

 of a galvanic pair, are attended with an intense action, which, 

 subsiding, leaves the battery in a state of low and rapidly di- 

 minishing action. But the solution of this fact, the cause of this 

 vivid primal action, yet remains in entire obscurity, although 

 many attempts have been made for its development. The effer- 

 vescence of the battery, or the copious development of gas, is 

 doubtless a sufficient obstruction to the passage of the galvanic 

 current, to account for that subsidence which is found always to 

 occur when the evolution of the gas becomes audible, or is visi- 

 ble at the surface of the liquid. The following experiments will 

 show that the primal action of a battery, (or in broader terms, ) 

 the galvanic current must be traced to some other source than 

 chemical action, or at least those obvious modes of chemical ac- 

 tion, recognized during the immersion of a battery. These ex- 

 periments were performed more than a year since, and as they 

 led to conclusions mostly of a negative character, I have been in- 

 tending to pursue the subject farther ; but being unable to grat- 

 ify my wishes in this particular, I am induced to publish the un- 

 finished investigation, trusting that the data thus afforded will 

 draw attention to a subject so important and interesting. The 

 battery used, was an amalgamated zinc battery, similar to that 

 recommended in Sturgeon's Annals of Electricity. Two copper 

 plates were prepared for the experiments, and in lieu of being per- 

 forated with numerous holes, were rendered shghtly concavo-con- 

 vex, with a funnel-like tube at its centre. ^ 



The figure represents a vertical, middle 

 section of the plate and its funnel. The 

 chief advantage of this form of plate over the 

 collander plate, is, that the sprinkling of acid 

 occasioned by the bursting of the gas bub- 

 bles, is entirely prevented. The flat perforated plate acts better 

 as a conductor ; but the difference is so trifling, that I prefer the 

 latter for the sake of cleanliness. One of the copper plates was 

 immersed, and the action of the battery immediately observed 

 by the common test of the spark, produced by rupturing the cir- 



Vol. XXXVI, No. 1— Jan .-April, 1839. . 18 



