Christian Friedrich Schoenbein to Faraday   15 September 1838

My dear Sir

As an acquaintance of mine is on the point of leaving Bale to go to London, I make use of the favorable opportunity to tell you in a few words, that some weeks ago I observed some voltaic phenomena which I think to be entirely novel and rather of great importance to our favorite science. Being just now occupied with drawing up for you a paper in English which is to contain a detailed account of my results¹, I will not enter at present into particulars and confine myself to stating the general fact, that fluid compound bodies being at the same time electrolytes are capable of assuming a peculiar state, which I term their electrical polarisation; because such a fluid being in that condition possesses the power to produce a voltaic current quite by itself i.e. without the assistance of any chemical action going on between the fluid and a metallic body. The inferences which a fact of such an extraordinary nature allows to draw with respect to Chemistry in particular are very as you will easily conceive, very interesting.

I have only yet time to call myself

Your's | very truly | C.F. Schoenbein

Bale 15, Septbr. 1838.

Address: Dr Faraday | Royal Institution | London