106 Harems New Galvanic Appai-atus, Theory, fyc. 



terstice wider than a quarter of an inch. Each coil is in 

 diameter about two inches and a half, so that all may de- 

 scend freely into eighty glass jars two inches and three 

 quarters diameter inside, and eight inches high, duly sta- 

 tioned to receive them.* 



My apparatus being thus arranged, two small lead pipes 

 were severally soldered to each pole, and a piece of char- 

 coal about a quarter of an inch thick, and an inch and a half 

 long, tapering a little at each extremity, had these severally 

 inserted into the hollow ends of the pipes : The jars being 

 furnished with diluted acid and the coils suddenly lowered 

 into them, no vestige of the charcoal could be seen : It was 

 ignited so intensely, that those portions of the pipes by 

 which it had been embraced were destroyed. In order to 

 avoid a useless and tiresome repetition, I will here state 

 that the coils were only kept in the acid while the action 

 at the poles was at a maximum in the experiment just men- 

 tioned, and in others which I am about to describe, unless 

 where the decomposition produced by water is spoken of, 

 or the sensation excited in the hands. I designate the ap- 

 paratus virith which I performed them, as the galvanic de- 

 flagrator, on account of its superior power, in proportion to 

 its size, in causing deflagration ; and as, in the form last 

 adopted, it differs from the voltaic pile in the omission of 

 one of the elements heretofore deemed necessary to its 

 construction. 



Desirous of seeing the effect of the simultaneous immer- 

 sion of my series upon water, the pipes soldered to the poles 

 v(?ere introduced into a vessel containing that fluid. No ex- 

 traordinary effect v/as perceived, until they were very near, 

 when a vivid flash was observed, and happening to touch 

 almost at the same time, they were found fused and incor- 

 porated at the place of contact. I next soldered to each 

 pipe a hnxss cylinder about five-tenths of an inch bore. 

 These cylinders were made to receive the tapering extrem- 

 ities of a piece of charcoal about two inches long so as to 

 complete the circuit. The submersion of the coils caused 

 the most vivid ignition in the coal. It was iristanfaneously 

 and entirely on fire. A piece of platina of about a quaiter 

 of an inch diameter in connexion with one pole, was in- 



' Sec Plate 



