427 



trary, direction, a galvanometer being introduced between 

 the long wire and the pair, which may be designated 'No. 

 1. I found that although the galvanometer was deflected 

 by the current from No. I, yet the current from No. 2 in 

 one direction increased the deflection, in the other dimin- 

 ishing it. 



Being desirous of knowing whether such experiments were 

 at all new, I mentioned some of the results to my friend, 

 Martyn J. Roberts, and was by him referred to the notice of 

 a communication by Mr. Gassiot, published in the Transac- 

 tions of the London Electrical Society. Mr. Roberts also 

 mentioned that he had, some years ago, tried experiments of 

 a similar nature, and that he was of opinion that two currents 

 could not be passed in opposite directions through the same 

 wire by any arrangement which was free from suspicion of 

 fallacy, arising from the action of one series of elements on 

 the other. 



Finding the inferences drawn by Mr. Gassiot and the 

 opinion of Mr. Roberts at variance, but not being acquainted 

 with the precise manner in which the experiments of either 

 were conducted, I made a considerable number of experi- 

 ments, making use of coils of copper wire of 100 feet in 

 length, and of the thickness known as No. 20 of the Bir- 

 mingham wire gauge, or .035 inch. 



Mr. Ward then detailed numerous experiments, the results 

 of which were exhibited on diagrams, and stated that he had 

 arrived at the following conclusions : — • 



That currents cannot pass along a conductor in opposite 

 directions ; that the appearance of their doing so is due to 

 the transmission of the current from one pair or series of 

 elements to the other; but that, on the other hand, the 

 conducting power of wires is diminished to the amount of 

 current passing through them. 



