DAVY, HUMPHREY.

The Bakerian Lecture. On the relations of electrical and chemical changes. Read June 8, 1826.

(London, W. Nicol, 1826). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from "Philosophical Transactions" 1826 - Part III. Pp. 383-422. Clean and fine.

First printing of Davy's last Bakerian Lecture.
"Davy repeats his theory of 1806 (the classic work on electrochemistry) and describes experiments with a galvanometer on currents from metals, etc. in alkali sulphide solutions, and various types of combinations. If two pieces of copper are introduced one after another into a sulphide solution a current is produced; he explains this as due to the couple: clean copper/copper sulphide on copper, in the same solution. A similar observation, with two pieces of tin in a hydrocloric acid, mentioned by Davy, had been made by....G.O. Ritter...After some time Davy noticed, the polarity is reversed, owing to the reducing action of hydrogen on the oxide or sulphide first formed."(Partington vol. IV:p. 72.).

"Humphry Davy was one of the most brilliant chemists of the early nineteenth century. His early study of nitrous oxide brought him his first reputation, but his later and most importent investigations were devoted to electrochemistry. Following Galvani's experiments and the discovery of the voltaic pile, interest in galvanic electricity had become widespread. The first electrolysis by means of the pile was carried out in 1800 by Nicholson and Carisle, who obtained oxygen and hydrogen from water. Davy began to examine the chemical effects of electricity in 1800, and his numerous discoveries were presented in his Bakerian lectures."

Order-nr.: 43168