"NEW CLASSES OF GALVANIC CONDUCTORS. Q47 



On uniting the wires of the two poles with the flame of a Flame of vari- 

 ,, ,. .. , i, i i ous substance.*. 



Wax or tallow candle, an oil lamp, yellow amber, camphor, 



volatile oils, and several other hidrocarburetted substances, 



the effects I have described, taking for example the flame 



of alcohol, will be observed fully. I had a strong reason, 



however, for proposing the latter, since the combustion of 



the stibstances here mentioned is scarcely commenced under Soon produced 



the influence of the galvanic poles, before a fuliginous de- a ^ arbo, ' escent 



position takes place on each of the wires, particularly on 



that of the negative pole. This deposition is distinguished especially on 



by a kind of dendritic vegetation, very striking on the ne- t!ie » e S auve 



• • ill-- i • wire, 



gative wire, but much less distinct, and sometimes not to 



be perceived on the positive. These ramifications increase that stretched 

 and spread with great rapidity, particularly at the negative ^T° ne 

 pole : they tend toward one another from the negative to the 

 positive, and the moment when these fuliginous filaments fill 

 the space between the two wires, all electroscopic effect ceases, 

 the circuit being closed by the conducting power of the car- 

 bon. The flame of spirit of wine, or of naphtha, is free Alcohol and 

 from this inconvenience. If the experimenter would ob- "otUii^ effect 

 serve these fuliginous vegetations in the greatest energy, he 

 should burn in a small capsule, oil of turpentine rectified by t j ne h as emi- 

 distillation. On bringing into this flame the two wires of a nemly, 

 galvanic pile of tolerable strength, the fuliginous vegeta- 

 tions will be produced in such abundance, that frequently 

 they will be seen to rise from the edge of the capsule, and , „ 



*,'■,'. -n ■ ■ , • alK! f ° rmS a 



form by their ramifications a very pleasing crown, the mean- pleasing exhi- 

 descent points of the tufts having a very rapid movement of bitl0u - 

 tension on the fuliginous pedicle that supports them. 



To obtain the partial insulation of the negative effect, it Carbon not ne- 

 is not necessary, that the substance from which the flame cessa T- 

 emanates should contain carbon. I filled my gazometer Hidrogen alone 

 with very pure hidrogen gas, carefully washed ; received the sufficient. 

 flame of a stream of this gas perfectly insulated between 

 the two wires of a pile ; and observed, that the effects dur- 

 ing the whole course of the experiment were perfectly iden~ 

 tical with those which I have described above with the flame 

 of alcohol. 



As to the flames emanating from substances that contain Of other sub- 

 neither carbon nor hidrogen, it is yery probable, that none ^""^aikl 



of *' ' 



