References.—“Biographie Générale,” Vol. XIX. p. 694; Larousse, “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. VIII. p. 1089; Izarn, Giuseppe (Joseph) “Manuel du Galvanisme,” Paris, An. XII. 1804, s. 6, pp. 95, 250–254: Mém. des Soc. Savantes, etc., Vol. I. pp. 164, 168; P. Sue, aîné, “Hist. du Galvanisme,” Paris, An. X, 1802, Vol. II. pp. 191, 196–203, 213, 214, 316; Alglave et Boulard, Lumière Electrique, Paris, 1882, p. 219; Poggendorff, Vol. I. p. 857; “Extrait d’une lettre de Brugnatelli,” etc., Bruxelles, 1802 (Van Mons, Journal de Chimie, Vol. II. p. 216).
A.D. 1801.—Robertson (Etienne Gaspard), a very capable French experimentalist and one of the founders of the Paris Galvani Society, who has already been alluded to in the article relating to Sir Humphry Davy, writes a memoir, “Expériences nouvelles sur le fluide galvanique,” which was read before the Institute on the 11th Fructidor, An. VIII, and which appeared in the Annales de Chimie (Vol. XXXVII. p. 132), as well as in the “Mémoires Récréatifs, Scientifiques,” etc., published in Paris during 1840, three years after Robertson’s death.
Robertson states that as he was delivering a lecture on the 9th Vendémaire, An. IX, during which he alluded to differences which he found to exist between the galvanic and electric fluids, he was interrupted by Prof. Brugnatelli, who stated that Volta, who was then present, desired an opportunity to correct the wrong impressions the lecturer laboured under. Volta called upon him early the day following and brought a live frog as well as apparatus, with which they experimented quite extensively, and the results of which brought Robertson completely over to the views of the Italian scientist. Volta frequently repeated his visits, which led to the development of a lasting friendship between the two. They visited together all the prominent scientific bodies, such as l’Ecole de Médecine, l’Ecole Polytechnique, etc., but found to their great astonishment that Robertson was the only one in Paris who had as yet given the new discovery any serious attention. At pp. 250–253, Vol. I of his “Mémoires,” etc., will be found a full account of the above as well as of the very indifferent reception first given them by the celebrated Prof. Charles.
Robertson adds (p. 256 of last-named work) that he was asked by Volta to witness the latter’s notable experiments made before the members of the National Institute of France, Nov. 16, 18, 20, 1800, and already alluded to herein at A.D. 1775. The sessions of that body were being held at the time in the Palais du Louvre, and the excitement caused by the meetings was so great that all the approaches were guarded by soldiery. After Prof. Volta had explained his theory and alluded to the identity of electricity and galvanism, he announced that Robertson had first illustrated the fact, and he asked him to repeat his original experiment, which the latter did after the necessary hydrogen gas had been procured from the neighbouring cabinet of Prof. Charles.
Robertson is also the author of several other interesting memoirs on the electrophorus, the improved “couronne de tasses” and “acide galvanique” which can be found in Vol. XXXVII of the Journal de Physique and in the Journal de Paris for the year 1800 (“Recueil des Actes de la Soc. de Lyon,” Tome II. p. 370).
A.D. 1801.—Gerboin (A. C.), Professor at the Medical School of Strasbourg, is the first to report upon the peculiar agitation of mercury when the voltaic current passes through it.
He states, in his “Recherches expérimentales sur un nouveau mode de l’action électrique” (Strasbourg, 1808), that his many researches were instigated by the observation he had made during the winter of 1798, while in company with some friends watching a child play with a hollow wooden ball. The Italian physicist, Abbate Fortis (1740–1803), who wrote several works on natural philosophy, but who is best known by his “Viaggio di Dalmazia,” had already announced that a pyritical cube suspended by a thread held between the thumb and index would immediately, without any movement of the fingers, assume a circular motion upon being approached by another body. The “Morgenblatt” of Tübingen and the French “Archives Littéraires” render in 1807 a very complete account of Ritter’s researches upon the Fortis pendulum, and N. Meissas states, at pp. 181–187 of his “Nouveaux Eléments de Physique,” Paris, 1838, that he repeated the experiment of Ritter and of his friend Gerboin and observed many very curious results. These he embodied in a communication during the month of April 1829 to Ampère, who looked into Meissas’ work in company with M. Becquerel, also a member of the French Institute.
In his experiments, Gerboin employed a tube bent in U[** symbol] form, filled half full of mercury, which later was covered with a stratum of water, and he placed therein the wires connecting with a pile. The surface of the mercury beneath the negative pole was slightly oxidized, but the surface under the positive point moved so violently as to cause small bodies placed within to be thrown outward upon the surface of the tube. These bodies moved in a contrary direction, v from the circumference toward the interior, if the positive pole was made to touch the liquid metal.
References.—Observations of M. Erman, of the Berlin Academy of Sciences, upon M. Gerboin’s experiments related in the Annales de Chimie, Tome LXXVII. p. 32. Also, Annales de Chimie, Tome XLI. pp. 196, 197, Mém. des Soc. Sav. et Lit., Vol. II. p. 199; Dr. Gore, “El. Metal,” 1877, p. 3; De la Rive, “Treatise on Electricity,” 1856, Vol. II. p. 433; Gmelin’s “Chemistry,” Vol. I. p. 487.
A.D. 1801.—Trommsdorff (Johann Bartholomäus), German chemist and pharmacist, who became Professor of Physics and Chemistry in the University of Erfurt, discovers that by employing large plates in galvanic batteries he can produce the combustion of fine wires and of thin leaves of metal.