Mr. R. Phillips on the Electricities of Steam. 509 



in a solution of acetate of ammonia, made by adding an excess 

 of the solution of ammonia to a concentrated solution of acetic 

 acid. The cane being again placed in the pipe of the con- 

 denser, and the boiler opened, the positive, state of the boiler 

 was found unaltered. 



120. When two bodies are rubbed together to produce 

 machine electricity, it is not necessary that both of them 

 should be bad conductors, it is enough to have one surface in 

 that condition. If, therefore, the electricity which renders 

 the boiler positive and the steam negative, is produced by 

 the friction of the steam on the wetted surface of the orifice 

 of the jet, then we see why increasing the conducting power 

 of the water does not prevent the production of this electricity. 

 I think this is the only, interpretation the experiments will be 

 found to bear, h io ^^i-^sc 



121. A piece of cane, about the same size as the former 

 pieces, and saturated with turpentine, was placed in the pipe 

 of the condenser. When the cock was opened a little, the 

 boiler was positive; and the positive effect was much stronger 

 than I ever before observed in the similar experiments without 

 lurpentine. 



b(i 122. The steam was now raised to perhaps 1.5 lbs. on the 

 inch, and the cock fully opened; the larger collector being 

 held as usual in the steam, received a very powerful positive 

 charge as measured by the single-leaf electrometer, and the 

 boiler was at the same time strongly positive to the two- 

 leaved electrometer*. I also rendered the steam and boiler 

 both positive at pressures greatly below 6 lbs. on the inch. 



123. A pewter tube, 9 inches long and ^ly i'lch internal 

 diameter, had one end attached to the pipe of the condenser, 

 the brass jet (40.) being screwed into the other end. A slip 

 of cane about 7 inches long was placed in the pewter tube, 

 and so thick as to fill up about ^ the space of the pewter tube 

 in which it lay. The boiler could be rendered positive as 

 when the jet was screwed into the condenser. The pipe of 

 the condenser, connecting pieces, &c. were of course quite 



y 1 i94«. A piece of cane similar to that last mentioned was 

 dipped into olive oil and substituted for the former piece in 

 the pewter tube. On allowing the steam to issue, I observed 

 in many experiments a decided diminution in the quantity of 

 positive electricity given to the boiler by the friction of the 

 steam in the jet; in other experiments I could not perceive 

 any effect produced by the oil. The diminished effect was 

 especially remarked after the steam had been issuing for some 

 time, and most of the oil had been thus blown out. 



* See Faraday's Researches in Electricity, vol. ii. p. 116, and following. 



