some have far surpassed those of others in advancing our knowledge. For
instance, the experimental philosophers in many branches of science were
groping as it were in darkness until the brilliant light of Newton's
genius illumined their path. Although, perhaps, I should not be
justified in comparing Oersted with Newton, yet he also discovered what
are termed "new" laws of nature, in a manner at once precise, profound,
and amazing, and which opened a new field of research to many of the
most distinguished philosophers of that time, who were soon engaged in
experimenting in the same direction, and from whose investigations arose
a new science, which was called "electro-dynamics." Oersted demonstrated
from inductive reasoning that every conductor of electricity possessed
all the known properties of a magnet while a current of electricity was
passing through it. If you earnestly contemplate the important adjuncts
to applied science which have sprung from that apparently simple fact,
you will not fail to see the importance of the discovery; for it was
while working in this new field of electro-magnetism that Sturgeon made
the first electro-magnet, and Faraday many of his discoveries relating
to induction.

Soon after the discovery by Oersted just referred to, Faraday, with the
care and ability manifest in all his experiments, showed that when an
intermittent current of electricity is passing along a wire it induces
a current in any wire forming a complete circuit and placed parallel
to it, and that if the two wires were made into two helices and placed
parallel to each other the effect was more marked. This Faraday
designated "Volta-electric induction," and it is with this kind of
induction I wish to engage your attention this evening; for it is a
phenomenon which presents some of the most interesting and important
facts in electrical science.