D.C. from tesla coil

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "george hadle by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <ckreol1-at-yahoo-dot-com>

I'm not sure if the sharp point vs. large curvature is
a good diode for high frequency coils.
from experiments with alternate currents of very high
frequency and their application to methods of
artificial illumination, a lecture by tesla.
quote
Another peculiarity of the rapidly alternating
discharge of the induction coil is it's radically
different behavior with respect to points and rounded
surfaces.
If a thick wire, provided with a ball at one end and
with a point at the other be attached to the positive
terminal of a static machine, practically all the
charge will be lost through the point, on accoundt of
the enormously greater tension, dependent on the
readius of curvature.  But if such a wire is attached
to one of the terminals of the induction coil, it will
be observed that with very high frequencies streams
issue from the ball almost as copiously as from the
point.
end 
He goes on to explain that the round surface disturbs
th4e air inductively, the air molecules not
necessarily coming in contact with the ball.
"Also,  the larger the ball with a given frequency, or
the higher the frequency, the more wil the ball have
advantage over the point."