Christian Friedrich Schoenbein to Faraday   8 July 1842

My dear Faraday,

As an acquaintance of mine is going to London I cannot let pass such an excellent opportunity without writing a few lines to you.

Some weeks ago I was myself on the point to cross the water with the view of attending the meeting of the british Association at Manchester when some unlooked for circumstances occurred which prevented me from putting that plan into execution. I was very sorry for this failure and am the more so now that I know you were there¹, but we must patiently submit to what we cannot alter. About a week previous to the opening of the meetings of the said association I sent a paper to one of its secretaries and asked him the favor to put it into the hands of the president of chemical Section. I trust the memoir has reached Manchester and been read²; in that case its contents will be known to you and as they bear upon some important points regarding the theory of Galvanism I am rather anxious to know what you will think about the views I have taken of the case. I am inclined to believe that some of the facts stated in my paper do offer additional evidence in favor of that theory according to which hydro-electric currents are due to chemical action. The phenomena being exhibited by iron when acting the part of the cathode within an aqueous oxy-acid appear to me to be rather of an interesting nature though very difficult to be accounted for. The longer I am examining the peculiar condition of iron the more does that state become enigmatical to me so that at this present moment I cannot conceive the least idea about the cause of that extraordinary phenomenon. Having of late worked a good deal again on that subject I have ascertained some novel facts which are very curious indeed and of which I take the liberty to mention one. Under certain circumstances iron is capable of maintaining its peculiar condition within common nitric acid though acting as the negative electrode of a voltaic arrangement. Supposing that condition to be due to a superficial oxidation of iron or a film of oxigen covering that metal, should the hydrogen being eliminated at the iron electrode not unite with that oxigen and throw the metal into chemical action? Before long I shall publish a memoir on the subject in de la Rive's "Archives"³. In the next number of that periodical you will see a notice of mine regarding a voltaic pile I have constructed out of mere cast iron⁴. The power which that arrangement exhibits is really wonderful and beats that of any other if we take into consideration the cheapness of the materials being employed for its construction.

Some time ago I took the liberty to send you by an acquaintance of mine five copies of a work on England⁵ asking you at the same time the favor to forward them to their respective places of destination. I entertain the flattering hopes that the remarks which the author of the said book has ventured to make on your account will not have proved in any way unpleasant to your feelings⁶. You will easily recognize in the publication alluded to the pen of a friend of yours and of a friend who feels most warmly for you. Mrs. Schoenbein unites with me in her best regards to you and Mrs. Faraday and begs me to remember her friendly to her friends in Albemarl[e]-Street[.]

For ever | Your's | most faithfully | C.F. Schoenbein

Bâle July 8th 1842.

If you should happen to have anything to be sent to me Mr. Worringer⁷ bearer of these lines who will communicate you his address will be kind enough to take charge of it. | S

Address: Dr. Faraday | &c &c &c | Royal Institution | London