172 Faraday's Researches

VI1

§ 8. ON THE ELECTRICITY OF THE VOLTAIC PILE] ITS SOURCE,
QUANTITY, INTENSITY, AND GENERAL CHARACTERS. ^ 1.
ON SIMPLE VOLTAIC CIRCLES. ^f ti. ON THE INTENSITY
NECESSARY FOR ELECTROLYSATION. ^f ill. ON ASSOCIATED
VOLTAIC CIRCLES, OR THE VOLTAIC BATTERY. ^ iv. ON
THE RESISTANCE OF AN ELECTROLYTE TO ELECTROLYTIC
ACTION. ^f V. GENERAL REMARKS ON THE ACTIVE VOLTAIC
BATTERY

^ i. On simple Voltaic Circles

610. THE great question of the source of electricity in the
voltaic pile has engaged the attention of so many eminent
philosophers, that a man of liberal mind and able to appreciate
their powers would probably conclude, although he might not
have studied the question, that the truth was somewhere
revealed. But if in pursuance of this impression he were induced
to enter upon the work of collating results and conclusions, he
would find such contradictory evidence, such equilibrium of
opinion, such variation and combination of theory, as would
leave him in complete doubt respecting what he should accept
as the true interpretation of nature: he would be forced to take
upon himself the labour of repeating and examining the facts,
and then use his own judgment on them in preference to that
of others.

611. This state of the subject must, to those who have made
up their minds on the matter, be my apology for entering upon
its investigation. The views I have taken of the definite action
of electricity in decomposing bodies (518), and the identity of
the power so used with the power to be overcome (590), founded
not on a mere opinion or general notion, but on facts which,
being altogether new, were to my mind precise and conclusive,
gave me, as I conceived, the power of examining the question
with advantages not before possessed by any, and which might
compensate, on my part, for the superior clearness and extent
of intellect on theirs. Such are the considerations which have
induced me to suppose I might help in deciding the question,
1 Eighth Series, original edition, vol. i. p. 259.personaljpains