Observations on a series of electrical experiments / By Dr Hoadly, and Mr Wilson.
- Benjamin Hoadly
- Date:
- 1756
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Observations on a series of electrical experiments / By Dr Hoadly, and Mr Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.
73/80 (page 69)
![[69 ] - The word ekBricaU is of too confined a meaning to be a proper epithet for a fluid of fo univerfal an activity as this is found at laft to be, from the experiments we have been confidering, becaufe it exprefies its power but partially. EleBricity means no more than the power we giv© bodies by rubbing them, to attract and repell light bodied that are near them, in the fame manner as amber does* when it is rubbed. But this fluid not only makes light bodies, that are near an eleftrifled body fly to and from that body, and fo appear to be attracted and repelled: but it heats them by putting their component particles, and the particles of air and light within them, into a vibrating motion; and makes them throw out the rays of light that before lay hid, and part with their fulphureous and volatile component particles, which, with the rays of light, on mixing with the air, burft out into fparks of real culinary fire, as the chemifts exprefs themfelves ; nay, more, in pafling through animals, it occafions convul- lions, tremors, pain, and death fometimes: and in pafling violently through leaf gold, held tight between two pieces of glafs, makes a fufion both of the gold and the furfaceof the glafs, fo inftantaneoufly, that no fenfible heat remains in them, and they immediately after be¬ come incorporated, and form an enamel. It is likewife improper to call this fluid, Fire» Air may juft as properly be called found, as this fluid eanbe called fire.. When found is produced, the parti- ; cles](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30410472_0073.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
