I wonder whether the patent described in the item "Electric bullets" (22 June, online) may be invalidated by the prior art revealed in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne.
In the novel, Captain Nemo invites the narrator, Professor Arronax, on an undersea walk and arms him with pneumatic guns equipped with bullets in the form of miniature Leyden jars - an early form of capacitor, used for storing static electricity.
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