Mr. Crosse appears to have produced in all “about 200 varieties of minerals, exactly resembling in all respects similar ones found in nature.” He tried also a new plan of extracting gold from its ores by an electrical process, which succeeded, but was too expensive for common use. He was in the habit of saying that he could, like Archimedes, move the world “if he were able to construct a battery at once cheap, powerful, and durable.” His process of extracting metals from their ores has been patented. Among his other useful applications of electricity are the purifying by its means of brackish or sea-water, and the improving bad wine and brandy. He agreed with Mr. Quekett in thinking that it is by electrical action that silica and other mineral substances are carried into and assimilated by plants. Negative electricity Mr. Crosse found favourable to no plants except fungi; and positive electricity he ascertained to be injurious to fungi, but favourable to every thing else.
Mr. Crosse died in 1855. His widow has published a very interesting volume ofMemorialsof the ingenious experimenter, from which we select the following:
On one occasion Mr. Crosse kept a pair of soles under the electric action for three months; and at the end of that time they were sent to a friend, whose domestics knew nothing of the experiment. Before the cook dressed them, her master asked her whether she thought they were fresh, as he had some doubts. She replied that she was sure they were fresh; indeed, she said she could swear that they were alive yesterday! When served at table they appeared like ordinary fish; but when the family attempted to eat them, they were found to be perfectly tasteless—the electric action had taken away all the essential oil, leaving the fish unfit for food. However, the process is exceedingly useful for keeping fish, meat, &c. fresh andgoodfor ten days or a fortnight. I have never heard a satisfactory explanation of the cause of the antiseptic power communicated to water by the passage of the electric current. Whether ozone has not something to do with it, may be a question. The same effect is produced whichever two dissimilar metals are used.
On one occasion Mr. Crosse kept a pair of soles under the electric action for three months; and at the end of that time they were sent to a friend, whose domestics knew nothing of the experiment. Before the cook dressed them, her master asked her whether she thought they were fresh, as he had some doubts. She replied that she was sure they were fresh; indeed, she said she could swear that they were alive yesterday! When served at table they appeared like ordinary fish; but when the family attempted to eat them, they were found to be perfectly tasteless—the electric action had taken away all the essential oil, leaving the fish unfit for food. However, the process is exceedingly useful for keeping fish, meat, &c. fresh andgoodfor ten days or a fortnight. I have never heard a satisfactory explanation of the cause of the antiseptic power communicated to water by the passage of the electric current. Whether ozone has not something to do with it, may be a question. The same effect is produced whichever two dissimilar metals are used.