In those days the Royal Institution published 'The Quarterly Journal of Science,' the precursor of our own 'Proceedings.' Faraday's first contribution to science appeared in that journal in 1816.

It was an analysis of some caustic lime from Tuscany, which had been sent to Davy by the Duchess of Montrose.

Between this period and 1818 various notes and short papers were published by Faraday.

In 1818 he experimented upon 'Sounding Flames.' Professor Auguste De la Rive had investigated those sounding flames, and had applied to them an explanation which completely accounted for a class of sounds discovered by himself, but did not account for those known to his predecessors.

By a few simple and conclusive experiments, Faraday proved the explanation insufficient.