INSTRUMENTS DISTINGUISHING ELECTRICITY. 121 



The following articles which make this apparatus complete Additional appa- 

 for ufe, were fold by Mr. Haas * in a neat box : 1 . Various ratus « 

 candles; 2. Points of different bores; 3. A hammer; 4. A 

 round excavated piece of fteel to pound the produces of the 

 operation; 5. A pair of tongs ; 6. A file; 7. A knife; 8. A 

 magnifying lens ; 9. A fpoon made of platina ; 10. A fteel to 

 ftrike fire, ferving at the fame time as a magnet; 1 1. A qua- 

 drangular magnet bar; 12. A thermometer; 13. An hydro- 

 meter. 



VIII. 



Note refpecling the Inftruments by zvhich the tzvo Kinds of Elec- 

 tricity are diftinguijhed, or its Direction afcertained. W. N. 



V>-ONCERNING the phenomena denominated electric, the Eledricity is yet 



fads have hitherto afforded us little more than a few general SJSSS/ * 



laws, which certain ingenious philofophers have connected 



by thofe hypothefes which conftitute the theory. Among thefe Franklin's the- 



the two principal are, lft, that a peculiar fluid, called the or . y of P Iusand 



. * * . ■ minus. 



electric matter, exifts in or upon all bodies ; capable of being 



accumulated by friction, ealily and moil rapidly paffing through 

 or along metals, water, and charcoal, and difficultly or not at 

 all through glafs and other bodies not containing fluid water; 

 capable of exifting at the oppofite confines of non-conductors, 

 fo as to be in excefs or plus at one furface, and in defect or 

 minus at the other, in much higher degrees than either flate 

 could fmgly exift ; exhibiting the phenomena of ignition and 

 found when it pafles through the fubftance of non-conductors ; 

 and capable by its rapid motion of railing the temperature of 

 conductors to the higheft intenfity hitherto obferved, as well 

 as of exciting mufcular action in all degrees, to the entire de- 

 duction of animal life. 



2. The fecond received theory of electricity admits the ex- Nollet's theory 

 iftence of two fluids capable of being feparated by fridion ; of two fluids * 

 having the fame habitudes, as to conductors and non-conduc- 



* Mr. Haas is no longer in London : Five fets of this apparatus 

 were fent to Portugal, where he is now eftabliftied. The blow- 

 pipe and reft of the adjutage are made of brafs, except the fnuffers. . 

 — Tranfl. > 



tors, 



