40 MR. GASSIOT ON THE RELATION OF ELECTRICAL AND CHEMICAL ACTIONS 
4. I was at that time engaged in the construction of an extensive series of the 
water battery ; but, from the difficulties of insulation, which continually presented 
themselves, considerable time elapsed before the battery was in a condition to afford 
results, on which any dependence Could be placed. Having, at length, to a certain 
extent, surmounted these difficulties, I have been enabled especially to study the 
character and action of the water battery, and through it, I may hope, of the voltaic 
battery generally. The results of my experiments, with a description of the apparatus 
used, may, I think, not be uninteresting to the electrician, particularly as they esta- 
blish the fact, beyond any doubt, of not only the passing of a distinct spark before 
the completion of the circuit, but the practicability of continuing this action for 
several weeks in constant succession, and enabling us to examine, with much accuracy, 
the rationale of the action of this extraordinary apparatus. 
5. The water battery, which I have constructed, and which I am about to describe, 
consists of 3520 pairs, or series of copper and zinc cylinders, each pair being placed 
in a separate glass vessel, well covered with a coating of lac varnish. The glass cells 
are placed on slips of glass, covered on both sides with a thick coating of lac ; this 
coating being fixed by heating the glass over a gas furnace, and then covering it with 
the varnish. The 3520 cells, thus insulated, are placed on forty-four separate oaken 
boards, also covered with lac varnish, each board carrying eighty cells. The boards, 
or trays, slide into a wooden frame, where they are further insulated by resting on 
pieces of thick plate glass, similarly varnished. 
6. It may at first sight appear that many of these precautions are unnecessary ; in 
truth, had I, at the outset, expected they would have been requisite, I might probably 
have been deterred from attempting so troublesome and lengthened an inquiry. At 
first I imitated the apparatus of Mr. Crosse, already referred to (3.), the copper 
cylinders being made water-tight that they might themselves constitute the cells ; 
and considering such insulation would be sufficient, I attached the cells to the boards 
with sealing wax, poured into holes made in the boards for the insertion of each cell. 
I found this arrangement answer very well for a few hundred series, but when the 
number was augmented, and the battery completed, the insulation was sadly deficient. 
This induced me to take the battery asunder, and to have distinct or separate glass 
vessels made for each pair. After again completing the entire series, I found the 
insulation was even less efficient than before ; for from the glass attracting moisture 
from the at mosphere, as well as from the evaporation of the battery, each cell became 
a conductor, and scarcely any effect could be produced on the electroscope ; in fact, 
it was not until I had finally adopted the arrangements I have previously described, 
that any approximation to a tolerable insulation could be maintained. 
7. The general appearance of the battery may be seen by referring to Plate I. 
fig. 1, where A, A' represent the wooden frames, in which are placed the forty- four 
boards containing the entire battery ; B a shelf on which a galvanometer can be 
placed, or any other apparatus for the detection of a current or chemical action. 
