Object Status:
Unlocated
Accession Date:
By 1805
Primary Source Reference:
Guide to the Philadelphia Museum (Philadelphia, 1805), p. 2
Notes:
Invented ca. 1745, the Leyden phial (or jar) was an early form of battery. It consisted of a stoppered jar containing a small amount of water. A wire was inserted in the stopper so that one end was immersed in the water. The phial was charged by touching the other end of the wire to an electrical machine such as the static electric machine in the Peale Museum. The phial increased the power and duration of an electrical shock. In the Guide Peale was apparently assuring viitors that his machine was sufficiently powerful not to require the additional boost provided by the Leyden phial. Selected Papers, 2, part 2: 766n
