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Messrs. L. Mond and C. Langer. [June 20, 



V. " A new Form of Gas Battery." By Ludwig Mond and 

 Carl Langer. Communicated by Lord Rayleigh, Sec. R.S. 

 Received June 13, 1889. 



In January, 1839, now over fifty years ago, Mr. (now Lord Justice) 

 Grove published the first notice* of his startling discovery — the gas 

 battery. This he followed up in 1842, 1843, and 1845 by three 

 important papersf, two of which were read before this Society. 



Since that time very little attention has beeu given by investigators 

 to the subject. Papers by Schonbein,^ De la Rive,§ Matteucci,|| 

 Beetz,^" Gaugain,** Morley,|f Peirce,|J Lord Rayleigh, § § Figuier,|||| 

 and Kendall, ^f^f and a few patents describing ingenious but imprac- 

 ticable suggestions for improved gas batteries, comprise the principal 

 contributions to the subject. 



This is the more surprising as Grove had published a large number 

 of experiments leading, amongst other important results, to a complete 

 list of the voltaic relations of gases to each other and to other 

 substances, and had pointed out in his lucid manner the great 

 scientific interest attaching to the gas battery, which forms the 

 simplest instrument for generating electricity, possesses remarkable 

 constancy of E.M.F., and " exhibits such a beautiful example of the 

 correlation of natural forces." 



Grove states that he never thought of the gas battery as a practical 

 means of generating voltaic power, but, nevertheless, he indicates 

 clearly in what directions improvements with this object should be 

 attempted, viz., by extending as much as possible the surface of 

 contact between the gases, the absorbent and the electrolyte. 



We have been engaged for several years with investigations on gas 

 batteries, which fully corroborate Grove's view, but show that he, as 



* Grove, ' Phil. Mag.,' vol. 14, 1839, p. 129. 



t Grove, ' Phil. Mag.,' vol. 21, 1842, p. 417 ; c Roy. Soc. Proc.,' vol. 4, 1843, 

 p. 463 ; vol. 5, 1845, p. 557. 



X Schonbein, ' Poggendorff , Annalen,' vol. 56, 1842, pp. 135 and 235 ; vol. 58, 

 1843, 361 ; vol. 62, 1844, 220 ; vol. 74, 1849, 244. 



§ De la Rive, ' Arch. d'Electric.,' vol. 3, 1843, p. 525. 



|| Matteueci, ' Comptes Rendus,' vol. 16, 1843, p. 846. 



IF Beetz, 'Poggendorff, Annalen,' vol. 77, 1849, p. 505; vol. 90, 1853, p. 42; 

 vol. 132, 1867, p. 460 ; < Wiedemann, Annalen,' vol. 5, 1878, p. 1 ; ' Phil. Mag.,' 

 vol. 7, 1879, p. 1. 



** G-augain, ' Comptes Rendus,' vol. 64, 1867, p. 364. 



ft Morley, ' Phil. Mag.,' vol. 5, 1878, p. 272. 



XX Peirce, ' Wiedemann, Annalen,' vol. 8, 1879, p. 98. 



§§ Rayleigh, ' Cambridge Phil. Soc. Proc.,' vol. 4, 1882, p. 198. 



Illl Figuier, < Comptes Rendus,' vol. 98, 1884, p. 1575. 



ITf Kendall, ' Roy. Soc. Proc.,' vol. 36, 1884, p. 208. 



