Electrical Researches by De la Rive and Gassiot. 35 



from similar impulses proceeding from positive and negative 

 discharges ? 



"Or can the luminous stratifications which we obtain in a 

 closed circuit of the secondary coil of an induction apparatus, 

 and in the circuit of the voltaic battery, be the representation of 

 pulsations which pass along the wire of the former and through 

 the battery of the latter, impulses possibly generated by the 

 action of the discharge along the wires ?" 



We have appended Mr. Gassiot's remarks to the account 

 given by M. de la Rive of his researches for the sake of com-; 

 parison. It seems to us difficult, if not impossible, to accept- 

 all M. de la Rive's views, and we should like to know whether 

 any practical electrician has succeeded in repeating the experi- 

 ments by which he imagines he has proved that the dark and 

 light spaces in the circuit resemble the good and bad con- 

 ducting links of a silver and platina chain. The subject is a 

 highly curious one, and, though we recognize M. de la Rive's 

 great merit in this branch of science, the theory he has pro- 

 pounded demands further investigation. Notwithstanding the 

 great interest and beauty of electrical pursuits, they have 

 fallen into singular neglect amongst the cultivators of science, 

 so that there are now comparatively few private students either 

 in England or France who devote to them the attention they 

 deserve. This is to be regretted, as, though much has been 

 done, more remains to be accomplished, and, so far as appa- 

 ratus goes, such excellent means were never before placed 

 within our reach. 



