288 DR. RITCHIE’S EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCHES 
been proposed take into view the law which connects the voltaic action of an 
elementary battery (or that consisting of a single pair of plates,) with the 
distance between them ; a law essentially connected, not only with the action 
of the battery, but with its very existence. It is curious to remark that Volta, 
by reasoning from false principles and on very imperfect data, arrived at the 
invention of one of the most powerful instruments of research which genius 
has bequeathed to the philosopher. 
I would not be understood, by this remark, to detract from the merit of the 
Italian philosopher. I have ventured this observation to encourage the young 
philosopher in his pursuit of physical truth, even when his views are imperfect 
and obscure. 
From these observations it is obvious that the theory of the battery is in¬ 
complete, if not absolutely false. It is entirely from possessing the most per¬ 
fect measurer of voltaic electricity,—namely, the torsion galvanometer,—that 
I have been enabled to give a more complete analysis of the principles of the 
battery, and the laws which regulate the accumulation of voltaic power. 
12. In analysing the compound effect of the battery, we must first examine 
what takes place, when a single pair of zinc and copper plates are soldered 
together, and diluted acid placed in cells on their opposite sides, instead of 
being placed between them as in the elementary battery. 
Let z c (fig. 3.) represent a zinc and copper plate soldered together, and let 
C', C" be two copper plates of the same size connected together, and cemented 
in a trough having the cells filled with diluted acid. The acid in the left-hand 
cell, between the two copper plates, can act only as a conductor, and hence 
the action of the compound plate z c will be exactly the same as what would 
take place if C" and C' were connected by a fine metallic wire having the 
same conducting power as the mass of fluid contained in that cell. In ordeF 
to ascertain the effect of this arrangement, let wires proceeding from the cop¬ 
per plates C', C" be connected with a very delicate torsion galvanometer 
having astatic needles. Let another compound plate of zinc and copper be 
cemented between the extreme copper plates, and let copper wires from these 
plates be connected with the galvanometer as before, and the deflecting force 
will be found to be doubled. If three plates be introduced, the effect will be 
tripled ; and so on in proportion to the number of plates. Hence the voltaic 
