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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished paper, 'An account of some experiments made to ascertain the effects of voltaic electricity upon vegetable life' by John Williams

Reference number: AP/8A/19

Date: 1818

Description

Williams details experiments carried out on the effect of galvanism on the growth of plants, but does not come to any clear conclusions on the topic, instead suggesting that more research is required. The first page is written in a different hand, likely Williams', with the remainder of the paper written by a copyist.

Subject: Biology / Physics

Communicated by Thomas Andrew Knight. Read to the Royal Society on 4 June 1818.

Reference number
AP/8A/19
Earliest possible date
1818
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
20 pages
Format
Manuscript

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Citation

Unpublished paper, 'An account of some experiments made to ascertain the effects of voltaic electricity upon vegetable life' by John Williams, 1818, AP/8A/19, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_8a_19/unpublished-paper-an-account-of-some-experiments-made-to-ascertain-the-effects-of-voltaic-electricity-upon-vegetable-life-by-john-williams, accessed on 16 May 2026

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_8a_19/unpublished-paper-an-account-of-some-experiments-made-to-ascertain-the-effects-of-voltaic-electricity-upon-vegetable-life-by-john-williams

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  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

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