i. ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. lol 



in addition to fkill in eleftrical experiments, had 

 a machine of confiderable power. He was fo 

 obliging as frequently to comply with my philo- 

 fophical requeft, and fubje£l infufions full of ani- 

 malcula to the electric fhock. They were invul- 

 nerable, and as lively after receiving the fhock, 

 as before ; nor was there any difference, though 

 two, three, or more fparks were drawn from the 

 infufions. The weaknefs of the fhock cannot be 

 bbjefted, as two or three killed a leech, nev/t, 

 or fnnilar fmali animal. 



I was accuftomed to communicate the refult 

 of my experiments to M. Bonnet before pubiifli- 

 ing them, becaufe this illuflrious naturalifl feem- 

 ed to wifh to partake of my little difcoveries. 

 Among the reft, I mentioned that which Dr Mof^ 

 cati had made. He anfwered, that he had ffiowu 

 M. de Sauffure my letters, who had repeated our 

 eleftrical experiments, but with oppofite effedts, 

 which he afcribes to the great humidity of the air 

 of Lombardy preventing eledricity from being 

 fo powerful as at Geneva. He adds, that M. de 

 Sauffure would himfelf inform me of his refults, 

 which he did very foon ; and I tranfcribe them 

 here, fuch as M. Bonnet fent to me, in the fol- 

 lowing letter ( i ) • 



G 3. " My 



(i) M. Bonnet afterwards publiflied a collection of his 



letters to his learned correfponcjents. I have collated all 



that are quoted here with chofe in that colledion, anid 



correflcd any errors or inaccuracies. — T. 



