C. L. Fritts—New Form of Selenium Cell. 469 
and became entirely insensitive to light, showing no change 
whatever between light and dark. 
rass cel] No. 5, he connected with the bichromate bat- 
tery, refused from the first to show any sensitiveness at all. - 
Its resistance varied continually, from high to low, and up 
again,—most of the time changing too rapidly to admit of get- 
ting any measurement. Changing the battery power from 12 
cells to 24, 48, and 96 cells made no difference,—it still refused 
to respond to light, although reversing the current varied the — 
resistance considerably. When one cell of the Leclanché 
eatery was substituted, it started at 10,100 ohms in dark, 
5,700 ohms in light, —nearly 44 per cent decrease in 
light. 
Doabtless —, cells would have shown the same action, had 
there been time to test them, but these are sufficient to excite 
one’s surprise. re before stated, the bichromate batteries had « 
about the same surface in the liquid as the lanché. But 
t here a promising field for experiment, in testing the 
eariiee omie of battery already known, or even devising some 
new form especially adapted to the needs and peculiarities of 
bedi cells ? 
. The effect of intermittent currents, and of rapidly alter- 
ming currents, is usually very slight and may be disregarded 
B 
nges, e 
the ce See from many thousands of ohms to almost 
nothing, and at others they raise it from next to nothing up 
among the thousands. I have not been able to ascertain any 
connection hiteecn conditions and results, but the effects are 
certainly remarkable. They are not due to my mode of arrang- 
ing the parts of the cells, for the same thing occurs with other 
forms, as for example: 
Experiment 1. The large “ strip” cell measured, in the dark, 
1,600 ohms. “Tried intermittent current. N eedle erratic, — 
final lly settles at 2,600 ohms.” This experiment was with 22 
cells of Leclanché. On trying the same experiment on an- 
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