Faraday to Julius Plücker   27 January 1854

Royal Institution | 27 January 1854

My dear Plucker

I am very tired - rather poorly - and want something to cheer me - so I have resolved to write to you. For it seems to me very long since I have seen your handwriting¹ and the last time we met was for a very short time. It begins to come back upon me that I saw you on your way to Hull² & that you shewed me some beautiful tables & curves of the progression of magnetic and diamagnetic force and I am most desirous of seeing them in an English dress that I may slowly & deliberately embue my mind with them. I hope you reached home safely[.] I could not be with you at Hull. Every year I feel less able to encounter the quick hurry and excitement of vigorous & active spirits. One of our philosophic physicians Sir Henry Holland has in one of his medical essays dealt with the question of time in regard to the operation of thought³[.] He shews that the time often becomes sensible:- and in advancing years especially - often increases to a very considerable amount. I feel persuaded by my own experience and by many observations of others that he is right:- for with me the time necessary to apprehend an idea is very sensible and when it becomes necessary to take up many dissimilar ideas in quick succession then the necessity of a certain amount of time makes the operation a real labour. Such is the case at meetings like those of the B. association at Hull and I cannot bear them.

I have not been working much lately only a little upon metal wires covered with Gutta Percha. When these are immersed in water they form remarkable Leyden arrangements[.] Only think of a cylinder of Gutta Percha coated inside with copper & outside with Water and though the wire be but 1/16 of an inch thick still 100 miles give an inside coating of about 8270 square feet and an outside coating of 33000 square feet. I have worked with 1500 miles of such wire at once and the results are exceedingly curious & interesting[.] The report of the experiments is now in the Printers hand and though I have not separate copies to send yet I trust you will soon get it in the proceedings of the Friday Evenings⁴.

With kindest remembrances of the mutual pleasures we have had together

I am | My dear Plucker | Ever Truly Yours | M. Faraday

Address: Professor Plucker | &c &c &c &c | University | Bonn | on the Rhine