Faraday to Carlo Matteucci   5 November 1849

Royal Institution: November 5, 1849.

My dear Matteucci,-.... I have lately been working for six full weeks trying to procure results, and have indeed procured them, but they are all negative¹. But the worse of it is, I find on looking back to my notes, that I ascertained all the same results experimentally eight or nine months ago², and had entirely forgotten them. This in some degree annoys me. I do not mean the labour, but the forgetfulness, for, in fact, the labour without memory is of no use.

Still I have a thousand causes of thankfulness, and am not repining, only explaining. If I could have my own way, I would never write you a letter without some scientific point in it. As it is, the chances are they will be as barren as this one.

Yours most truly, | M. Faraday