46 MR. GASSIOT ON THE RELATION OF ELECTRICAL AND CHEMICAL ACTIONS 
series of the elements of a voltaic battery previous to the circuit being completed ; 
such progressive arrangement being indispensable for the production of the effects 
we are now examining, or the production of certain forces in a given direction. A 
mere heterogeneous assemblage of the elements will not produce the effects ; on the 
contrary, any alteration in the regular series produces a corresponding reduction of 
force, and any number of batteries arranged — copper, liquid, zinc, — will exactly 
neutralize the action of a similar number arranged, — zinc, liquid, copper. 
25. The question I am now examining is, however, not whether contact produces 
current, but whether it produces electric development, and whether that develop- 
ment is accompanied by any chemical action; and this necessarily involves the ques- 
tion, whether the effects of current, or those usually called voltaic, have the same 
efficient cause as the electro-static. That certain effect's can be produced indepen- 
dently of any ajiparent chemical action, is not merely proved by experiment with the 
water battery, but it is further confirmed by many unexceptionable experiments; 
among those for which I may particularly claim attention, are those of M. Peclet, 
who in describing them says, “ I have only had in view static electricity developed 
by contact, I have not troubled myself about currents when the circuit is closed*.” 
26. The examination of M. Peclet’s experiments, the investigation of the action 
of the voltaic series generally, and more particularly of the water battery, seem to 
lead to the inference that elective affinity is greatly concerned in the antecedent 
action, of which chemical combinations, when the circuit is closed, are the consequence. 
I might quote the particular experiments of M. Peclet as an evidence of static 
effects having been obtained without any apparent chemical combination ; but, with- 
out attempting to follow out what may, perhaps, somewhat fairly, be assumed as 
hypothetical cases, viz. those in which tension does not appear to terminate in che- 
mical action, let us trace the process by which tension rises in an insulated pile , and 
the still further process necessary to establish a current. 
2 /• Two trays of the battery were carefully insulated as before (19.): if in this 
state one of the piles is touched by the hand, its electric tension is apparently de- 
stroyed, the leaves of the electroscope in connection collapsing; whilst those of an 
electroscope attached to the other terminal obtain their extreme divergence. If this 
battery be now left to itself, the end which has been touched regains a certain amount 
of tension, and the leaves of the other electroscope collapse in proportion : generally, 
the means of raising the tension of one extremity of the battery is to touch the other. 
I do not mean to assert that the tension of the end which was touched is entirely de- 
stroyed, but certainly with 160 series, for the space of several seconds, I could not 
with the most delicate gold-leaf electroscope obtain the slightest indication of it. 
28. Marianini went through a series of experiments, in which he found that in no 
case was tension actually destroyed ; but that it fell in proportion to the duration of the 
time during which the circuit had been completed. My object now was not, however, 
* Archives de l’Electricite, vol. i. p. 622. 
