Faraday to Christian Friedrich Schoenbein   13 December 1850

Brighton | 13 Decr. 1850

My dear Schoenbein

It will be very strange if I do not make your subject interesting¹. I have gone twice through the MS. & the illustrations both are beautiful². As soon as I reach home I shall begin to prepare for ozone making & repeating your experiments. This morning I hung out at my window one of the Ozonometer slips that was about 2 hours ago. Now when I moisten it, a tint of blue comes out between Nos 4 and 5 of the Scale. Though I face the sea & have the wind on shore still I am not aware that the spray can do this or any thing that comes from the Sea water but before I send off this letter I shall go down and try the sea myself[.]

Well! I have been to the Sea side & the sea water does nothing of the kind - nor the spray - but as I walk on the shore holding a piece of the test paper in my hand for a quarter of an hour, at the end of that time it by moistening shews a pale blue effect.

That which is up at my window has been out in the air 4 hours & it when wetted comes out a strong blue tint about as No. 6 of the scale. The day is dry but with no sun the lower region pretty clear but clouds above[.]

After reading your notes & examining the illustrations I could not resist writing to you though as you see I have nothing to say[.]

Ever truly yours | M. Faraday

Address: Dr. Schoenbein | &c &c &c | University | Bâle | on the Rhine