According to the corallary above referred to, the oil should be, with such an environment and under such subjection, a conductor of electricity, but it was not. He emphasized his satisfaction in the results by saying “the method I followed is so delicate that a mistake is almost an impossibility.”
Prof. W. C. Peckham, _Elect. World_, N.Y., May 30, ’96, reasoned that the oscillating electro-static action upon the outside of the tube, is concerned in the production of fluorescence, and other properties of X-rays. “These oscillations are certainly synchronous with the vibrations of the cathode rays in the tube, which in turn synchronize with the oscillation in the induction coil. If the vibrations of the tube cannot keep time with those of its coil, few or no X-rays will be given out. The cause seems to be similar to that of sympathetic vibrations in sound. In a word, the discharge tube is a resonator for its coil, and when the coil and tube are properly attuned, the maximum effect is obtained.
149. APPLEYARD’S EXPERIMENT. NON-CONDUCTORS MADE CONDUCTORS BY CURRENT. _Proc. Phil. So._, May 11, _Nature_, Lon., May 24, ’64, p. 93. A piece of celluloid was pressed between two metal plates serving as terminals. A galvanometer was employed to indicate the diminution of resistance by time, and it also showed that the electrification was negative. When mercury was one of the metals, the abnormal results did not occur, except to a very small extent. When the celluloid was replaced by gutta percha tissue, the electrification was normal. Many non-metals were employed, and several were lowered in resistance.
149_a_. RESISTANCE SOMEWHAT INDEPENDENT OF METAL PARTICLES.—Through a mixture of conducting and non-conducting materials, like a sheet of gutta percha, having brass filings imbedded therein,—with 750 volts, no current passed, and this held true until the proportion in weight of the metal to the gutta percha was 2 to 1. Let it be remembered, also, that selenium is reduced as to resistance under the influence of light.
150. MINCHIN’S EXPERIMENT. RESISTANCE LOWERED BY ELECTRO-MAGNETIC WAVES. _Nature_, Lon., May 24, ’94, p. 93.—Referring to Appleyard’s experiment, it will be noticed that he found that mixtures of certain limited per cents. of metallic particles and insulators were exceedingly high in resistance. Prof. G. M. Minchin found that such materials became conductors under the influence of powerful electro-magnetic disturbances, and that after the current was conducted, its resistance remained greatly lowered in behalf of very weak impulses, although, before the experiment, the resistance was so high. § 14_a_. But after the current was interrupted by moving the terminal away from the mixture, the high resisting power returned slowly, at a rate somewhat in proportion to the hardness of the mixture. The film employed consisted of shellac or gelatine or sealing wax, while among the metals was pulverized tin. In the latter case, the resistance was reduced by the electro-magnetic waves from apparent infinity to 130 ohms, the electrodes being displaced by 1 cm.