produced by electricity. 429 
this circumstance, it occurred to me, that by placing wires in 
a medium much denser than air, such as ether, alcohol, oils, 
or water, I might enable them to transmit a much higher 
charge of electricity than they could convey without being 
destroyed in air ; and thus not only gain some new results as 
to the magnetic states of such wires, but likewise, perhaps, 
determine the actual limits to the powers of different bodies 
to conduct electricity, and the relations of these powers. 
A wire of platinum of °f three inches in length, was 
fused in air, by being made to transmit the electricity of two 
batteries of ten zinc plates of four inches with double copper, 
strongly charged : a similar wire was placed in sulphuric 
ether, and the charge transmitted through it. It became sur- 
rounded by globules of gas ; but no other change took place ; 
and in this situation it bore the discharge from twelve batteries 
of the same kind, exhibiting the same phenomena. When 
only about an inch of it was heated by this high power in 
ether, it made the ether boil, and became white hot under the 
globules of vapour, and then rapidly decomposed the ether, 
but it did not fuse. When oil or water was substituted for the 
ether, the length of the wire remaining the same, it was par- 
tially covered with small globules of gas, but did not become 
red hot. 
On trying the magnetic powers of this wire in water, they 
were found to be very great, and the quantity of iron filings 
that it attracted, was such as to form a cylinder round it of 
nearly the tenth of an inch in diameter. 
To ascertain whether short lengths of fine wire, prevented 
from fusing by being kept cool, transmitted the whole elec- 
tricity of powerful voltaic batteries, I made a second indepen- 
