toe. The peculiarity in this arrangement is the method of breaking the connexion with the voltaic battery, and is as follows: a copper star which is made to rotate in the glass vessel s which contains a little mercury, by means of a grooved multiplying wheel t, having a band passing over a smaller one v, which is attached to the spindle that carries r, a point of which only touches the surface of the mercury, each point leaving before the other enters, by which means a succession of some thousand shocks may be given in a minute. The mercury is effectually prevented spilling about and is unaccompanied with any disagreeable noise. This instrument also decomposes water; in short performs all the different experiments that require an intensity arrangement. The quantity experiments that are performed by it depend more on the action of the voltaic battery than any assistance which this instrument gives.

LXXXI. First Report of the Committee of the London Electrical Society.

AT a General Meeting of the Electrical Society held Saturday, August 5, 1837, the following Resolution was unanimously agreed to;

RESOLVED. The weeekly meetings of the Electrical Society having been adjourned from the 12th. day of August, until Saturday the 7th. day of October, 1837, the Committee are requested to prepare and print a Report for circulation; and, in order that the general interests of the Society may not suffer, the Committee are further requested to meet from time to time during the recess and act in every instance as if the general meetings were continued; it being understood that a Report of the Committee's proceedings is to be submitted to the Society at the first general Meeting.

The Committee have now, in pursuance of the above Resolution, to offer to the Society the following

REPORT.

The Committee have great pleasure in announcing to the members of the Electrical Society, that the object for which the Society was formed, as stated in the resolution of 16th. May, 1837, will be fully carried into effect; at the same time, the Committee claim from every member his individual cooperation, not only by procuring an additional number of subscribers but also by diffusing among his scientific friends the knowledge of the existence of the Society, its rules, and

objects; as the Committee feel assured that the views of the Society have only to be made public to insure its ultimate

success.

It was originally the intention of the Committee to make a selection from the numerous papers that have been read at the weekly meetings of the Society, in order that they might be printed and circulated among the members. The Committee, however, for the present, defer the publication, particularly as the weekly meetings have been attended by most of the resident members, who have had an opportunity of hearing the contents of the papers alluded to. The Committee are the more induced to delay the publication from some of the members having intimated their intention of presenting papers after the recess, comprising new but important facts in Electrical Science.

The following list of papers, already read at the weekly evening meetings, is printed for the information of those members who had not an opportunity of attending; and the Committee, with great pleasure, refer to the same as a proof of the spirit and energy with which those meetings have hitherto been conducted. Some of the papers will, by the liberality of the Editor of the "Annals of Electricity", appear, from time to time, in that work.

Read June 10. On the same cause under different circumstances, producing the varied phenomena of the different sciences of Electricity, Galvanism, and Magnetism. paper was illustrated with many diagrams.

This

On the principle and character of a new Galvanometer. 24. On Lightning Conductors, particularly as applied to vessels.

On the theories of Franklin and Du Fay, as regards single and double fluids, developed by friction or electric machines.

On secondary electric currents and on their influence in certain arrangements of apparatus. Read July 1. On the effects of peculiar electrical states of the atmosphere on the functions of animals and plants, and an attempt to explain the "modus operandi" of the electrical fluid in producing epidemic diseases. Extract of a letter from Lieut. Morrison, R. N., dated Cheltenham, June, 1837, describing an instrument which he terms a Magnet Electrometer; it not only indicates the kind but also the degree of Atmospheric Electricity. Lieut. Morrison has intimated his intention of sending the Society the result of observations made by him with this instrument.

8. On atmospheric electricity. This paper was accompanied by a table containing a series of experiments made with the electrical kite, by Mr. Swaim, of Philadelphia. On a new experiment with a magnetic battery, by which a continuous line of sparks can be produced.

15. On the inconsistencies of some of the present views respecting electricity. The author of this paper is at present carrying on a series of experiments to demonstrate his views, which will be laid before the Society at an early meeting.

22. On the effect of peculiar electrical states of the atmosphere, &c. (Second paper).

29.

An original letter, dated November, 1822, from Andrew Crosse, Esq. to Mr. K. Spencer, describing the mode in which he then insulated his atmospheric apparatus. August 5. A paper entitled "An Experimental Investigation of the influence of electric currents on soft iron, as regards the thickness of the metal necessary for the full display of its magnetic action, and how far thin pieces of iron are available for practical purposes."

12. Extract of a letter from Andrew Crosse, Esq. to W. Leithead, Esq. dated Broomfield, near Taunton, August 4, 1837, describing some interesting results obtained by him in producing Crystals by transferring the electric energy from the zinc and copper plates to other substances, not metallic, in contact with them.

On a new mode of increasing the power of the shock from a coil of wire when acting upon a voltaic current. On the commonly received opinion that two electric currents can pass along a central wire in opposite directions. This paper is accompanied with a diagram showing the action of the electric currents on the magnetic needle.

At the meeting of June 24, the Rev. Mr. Shillibeer, of Oundle, Northamptonshire, a non-resident member, stated that he had given instructions for a series of his Voltaic Batteries to be prepared, and which he hoped the Society would favour him by accepting.

The thanks of the Society have been voted to Mr. Shillibeer for his donation: as also to Mr. T. Pollock for his work, entitled, "An Attempt to explain the Phenomena of Heat, Electricity, Galvanism, Magnetism, Gravitation, and Light, on the assumption of one cause or universal principle.

At the Meeting of the 22d July, the Chairman stated that if any Member was desirous of carrying on a series of experiments, he would, on mentioning his intention, and describing

the nature and object of the proposed experiments in writing to the Committee, be immediately afforded the necessary facilities.

The Committee, in pursuance of the instructions of the Society, continue to hold their Meetings during the recess, and should any Member require further information he will please address a letter to the Honorary Secretary, who will communicate the same to the Committee.

The Committee have further to announce that in consequence of the increased number of Members and Visitors attending the weekly Meetings, they have been compelled to seek a larger room for their accommodation. The Council of the Society for the Illustration and Encouragement of Practical Science have obligingly permitted the future Meetings to be held in their Lecture Room; in addition to which the Council have liberally offered the Society the use of their Electrical Apparatus. The Committee cannot but point out to the Members the advantages likely to accrue to the Society from the increased accommodation thus afforded to Members as well as Visitors, and fully rely on the active exertions of the Members, both resident and non-resident, in carrying out the objects for which the Society was originally formed.

The general Weekly Meetings will, agreeably to the 5th rule, be resumed on Saturday, the 7th October, at 7 o'Clock, notice of which will be sent to each resident Member: in the mean time the Committee will be happy to receive any communications through the Secretary.

London, Sept, 4, 1837.

WILLIAM LEITHEAD, Secretary.

The following extract taken from the Rules and Regulations unanimously agreed to at the Meeting of 20th May, 1837, the Committee have deemed it advisable to reprint.

RULES.

The Society for the present to consist of Resident and nonResident Members.

The Subscription of a resident member (or one residing within 20 miles of London) to be for the first year Two Guineas, and that of a non-resident One Guinea.

Visitors may be introduced by any of the Members and will be permitted to join in the discussion.

The Society to meet every Saturday Evening, at 7 o'clock, for the purpose of conversation, and at 8 o'clock the Chair shall be taken. The Chairman being elected by the Members present.

ORDER OF BUSINESS.

Immediately on the Chair being taken, the minutes of the previous meeting are to be read, and the names of any Members subsequently registered, announced. The Secretary shall then read such papers as have been presented to the Society during the past week. After each paper has been read, a discussion may take place, should the members present consider it expedient.

All donations of money, books, or apparatus, to be entered in the minutes of the meeting next after they have been received, when they will be duly acknowledged.

Every paper communicated to the Society, in order to be read at its meetings, will be deemed the property of the Society; unless any engagement to the contrary shall have been stipulated by the Author.

LXXXII. Miscellaneous Articles.

To the Editor of the Annals of Electricity, &c.
Sir,

All the writers of the present day have led us to believe that Mr. Faraday invented the apparatus called the voltameter, and on reference to his papers read before the Royal Society (735), &c., it will be found that he there claims it as his own. Judge then of my surprise, in reading the following passage in Donovan's Galvanism, and how nearly the opinions there entertained of its merits as a measurer of voltaic electricity, coincide with those expressed by you in the last number of the Annals.

"He, (Robertson) also describes an instrument, the principle of which has been since frequently used for measuring the decomposing energy of any galvanic series. It consists of a tube of glass filled with water, and containing a wire at each end which comes very near the other within. The tube stands vertically, and is graduated at its upper end, so that the water is resolved into gases, the quantity of which being ascertained by the scale, gives, when compared with the time, the energy of the series. Various other instruments bearing this name have been since contrived; but they are really electrometers, and do not measure the decomposing power of the pile.'

The priority of invention is so obvious, that it needs no comment. I am however rather surprised, that Dr. Faraday, whose papers so ofter appear in another publication, the principle of which are for the purpose of vindicating the merits of