12G ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



the excited side upwards, the first divergence of the leaves will be less, and 

 the application of the tinfoil on the top will cause considerable diminution. 

 The approximation of the flame towards the excited side will discharge it 

 entirely. The application near the nncxcited side Avill also seem partly to 

 discharge it, for the effect on the electrometer will be greatly lessened; but 

 the fact is, that the flame will have charged the second surface with the con- 

 trary electricity. When, therefore, the originally excited surface is laid 

 down upon the cap of the electrometer, a diminished divergence will be 

 obtained, and it is only by the after application of uninsulated tinfoil upon 

 the uppper surface, that the full divergence due to the lower surface is 

 obtained. 



Being aware of these points, which are necessary to safe manipulation, 

 and proceeding to work with a plate of sulphur in the field of induction 

 before described, the following results are obtained : A piece of uncharged 

 sulphur being placed in the induction field, perpendicular to the lines of in- 

 ductive fire, and retained there, even for several minutes, provided all be 

 free from dust and small particles, when taken out and examined by the 

 electrometer, either without or with the application of the superposed tinfoil, 

 is found without any charge. A gilt plate-carrier, if introduced in the same 

 position, and then withdrawn, is found entirely free of charge. If the sul- 

 phur-plate be in place, and then the carrier be introduced and made to touch 

 the face of the sulphur, then separated a small space from it, and brought 

 away and examined, it is found without any charge; and that, whether 

 applied to either one side or the other of the block of sulphur. So that 

 any of these bodies, which may have been thrown into a polarized or pecu- 

 liar position whilst under induction, must have lost that state entirely when 

 removed from the induction, and have resumed their natural condition. 



Assuming, however, that the sulphur had become electrically polarized in 

 the direction of the lines of induction, and that therefore whilst in the field 

 one face was positive and the other negative, the mere touching of two or 

 three points by the gold-leaf carrier would be utterly inefficient in bringing 

 any sensible portion of this charge or state away; for though metal can 

 come into conduction contact with the surface particles of a mass of insu- 

 lating matter, and can take up the state of that surface, it is only by real con- 

 tact that this can be done. Therefore the two sides of a block of sulphur 

 were gilt by the application of gold-leaf on a thin layer of varnish; and 

 when the varnish was quite dry and hard, this block was experimented with. 

 Being introduced into the induction field for a time, and then brought away, 

 it was found free from charge on both its surfaces; being again intro- 

 duced, and the carrier placed near to it, but not touching, the earner, when 

 brought away, showed no trace of electricity. The earner being again intro- 

 duced at the side, where the charged or inductric body (made negative) is 

 placed, made to touch the gilt surface of the sulphur on that side, separated 

 a little way, and then brought out to be examined, gave a positive charge to 

 the electrometer; when it was taken to the other side of the sulphur, and 

 applied in the same manner, it brought away a negative charge ; thus show- 

 ing, that whilst the sulphur was under induction, the side of it towards the 

 negative inductric was in the positive state, and the outer side in the negative 

 state. 



Tims the di-electric sulphur, whilst under induction, is in a constrained 

 polar electrical state, from which it instantly falls into an indifferent or natu- 

 ral condition the moment the induction ceases. That this return action is 



