Christian Friedrich Schoenbein to Faraday   18 March 1846

My dear Faraday

Don't take it ill if I venture to trouble you once more with my little affair, I flatter myself however that the interest which seems to be connected with the subject will excuse my intenseness. To give you an idea of what may be made out of vegetable fibre I send you a specimen of a transparent substance which I have prepared out of common paper. This matter is capable of being shaped out into all sorts of things and forms and I have made from it a number of beautiful vessels. The first perfect one I obtained is destined to be sent to the Mistress of the Royal Institution, as soon as a convenient opportunity will offer itself for doing so and I shall ask the Lady mentioned to preserve it as a sort of scientific keepsake. In taking the liberty to forward to you a little piece of my transparent paper I must beg you to keep it entirely to yourself and consider it as a stric[t]ly confidential communication and I ask you this piece of favour because my secret with regard to my water proof paper is connected with that substance. I shall however be obliged to you if you will have the kindness to exhibit it before a Friday meeting of the Royal Institution. There is another point about which I take the liberty to ask your kind advice. I am enabled to prepare in any quantity a matter which next gunpowder must be regarded as the most combustible substance known¹. So inflammable is that matter that on being brought in contact with the slightest spark it will instantly be set on fire leaving hardly any trace of ashes and if the combustion be caused within closed vessels a violent explosion takes place. That combustible substance is, as I will confidently tell you, raw cotton prepared in a simple manner which I shall describe you hereafter. I must not omit to mention that water has not the least action upon my matter, i.e. that it may be immersed ever so long in that fluid, without loosing its inflammability after having been dried again. A substance of that description seems to be applicable to many purposes of daily life and I should think that it might advantageously be used as a powerful means of defense and attack. Indeed the congrevian rockets² can hardly be more combustible than my prepared cotton is. What shall I do with that matter? Shall I offer it to your government? I have inclosed a little bit of that really frightful body and you may easily convince yourself of the correctness of my statements regarding its properties.

As to my prepared paper you will be interested in learning that it proves to be a highly electrical substance as will appear from the following facts³.

1. In putting half a dozen of sheets one above another and passing once or twice the hand over the uppermost one all the sheets will stick together so as if they had been joined by the means of a glutinous matter.

2. The experiment being made in the dark a prepared sheet rubbed becomes luminous, and on separating two excited sheets from each other a great number of beautiful sparks are seen breaking out between the paper.

3. An excited sheet held over the head makes the hair stand on end[.]

4. The disc of the common electrophor placed upon an excited sheet lying upon the naked table yields sparks of some inches in length.

5. A couple of sheets being lively rubbed develop a strong odour of ozone.

6. The electricity developed by my paper is the negative one.

The facts stated render it almost certain that out of my paper powerful electrical machines may be constructed which will perhaps replace the plate arrangements. I shall soon have a paper machine. I need hard[l]y say that the transparent substance is still more electrical than the prepared paper.

Before I conclude I must offer you my grateful thanks for the kindness with which you put me in communication with Mr. Dickenson⁴. Before entering into any negociation with him, I will wait a little longer for other offers for it seems to me that he has not quite fully appreciated the qualities of my paper.

Don't you think the Bank would like to have their notes made of that paper? From the specimens of what we call silkpaper laid by you will see how much the prepared bit surpasses in strength and impermeability the common one. I inclose also a specimen of paper having been very slightly prepared and being distinguished by its beautiful play of colour. Perhaps some use may be made of it.

I am over curious to learn more particulars regarding your investigations and it is indeed a great pity that the regulations of the Royal Society cause such a delay in publishing scientific results communicated to that body.

Mrs. Schoenbein and the girls are doing well and beg me to present to you and Mrs. Faraday the kindest regards.

Believe me my dear Faraday | Your's | most faithfully | C.F. Schoenbein

Bâle March 18, 1846.

NB. To shelter the transparent matter from injury I have put it between some bits of prepared paper glued together by wafers at their four corners. In drying a little the prepared stripes Nrs. I and II you will easily recognise their electrical condition by rubbing them with the hand over a common bit of paper.

Address: Doctor M. Faraday | &c &c &c | Royal Institution | London.