146 MR. FARADAY’S EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCHES IN ELECTRICITY. 
from the superior delicacy and power of his electro-magnetical apparatus, or 
he may have obtained only the motion due to cessation of action. But all my 
results tend to invert the sense of the proposition stated by M. Ampere, “ that 
a current of electricity tends to put the electricity of conductors near which 
it passes in motion in the same direction,” for they indicate an opposite direc¬ 
tion for the produced current (26. 53.) ; and they show that the effect is mo¬ 
mentary, and that it is also produced by magnetic induction, and that certain 
other extraordinary effects follow thereupon. 
79. The momentary existence of the phenomena of induction now described 
is sufficient to furnish abundant reasons for the uncertainty or failure of the 
experiments hitherto made to obtain electricity from magnets, or to effect che¬ 
mical decomposition or arrangement by their means *. 
80. It also appears capable of explaining fully the remarkable phenomena 
observed by M. Arago between metals and magnets when either are moving 
(120.), as well as most of the results obtained by Sir John Herschel, Messrs. 
Babbage, Harris, and others, in repeating his experiments ; accounting at the 
same time perfectly for what at first appeared inexplicable ; namely, the non¬ 
action of the same metals and magnets when at rest. These results, which also 
afford the readiest means of obtaining electricity from magnetism, I shall now 
proceed to describe. 
§ 4. Explication of Arago’ s Magnetic Phenomena. 
81. If a plate of copper be revolved close to a magnetic needle, or magnet, 
* The Lycee, No. 3 6 , for January 1 st, has a long and rather premature article, in which it endeavours 
to show anticipations by French philosophers of my researches. It however mistakes the erroneous 
results of MM. Fresnel and Ampere for true ones, and then imagines my true results are like those 
erroneous ones. I notice it here, however, for the purpose of doing honour to Fresnel in a much 
higher degree than would have been merited by a feeble anticipation of the present investigations. 
That great philosopher, at the same time with myself and fifty other persons, made experiments which 
the present paper proves could give no expected result. He was deceived for the moment, and pub¬ 
lished his imaginary success ; but on more carefully repeating his trials, he could find no proof of 
their accuracy ; and, in the high and pure philosophic desire to remove error as well as discover truth, 
he recanted his first statement. The example of Berzelius regarding the first Thorina is another in¬ 
stance of this fine feeling ; and as occasions are not rare, it would be to the dignity of science if such 
examples were more frequently followed.—February 10th, 1832. 
