I^ A^IMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. |I| 



* which were then neither injured nor killed: 

 ' More than once they have been repeated, with 



* different and even oppofite refults, which I have 

 ' alfo difcovered did not arife from the weakn^fs 

 ' of my machine, fmce fulminating eieQ:ricity is 

 ' not neceflary to kill them, but to the method 



* employed. When we made the experiments, 

 ' we ufed a little brafs cup; and, towards its cen- 

 ' tre, endeavoured to diie(?: the fhock of the jar 

 ' where the cup was fixed. We never killed one 

 ' animalcule by this method ; nor was I more 

 ' fuccelsfal on repeating the experiment alone, at 

 ' the moft favourable periods for electricity. But 

 ' as you inJ:ormed me that M. de S^ufllire, whofe 



* merit and accuracy in experiment I know and 

 ' highly efteem, had feen them die; and as it hacj 



* alfo appeared, that ihe fpark, inlfead of com- 



* ing froni the liquid with the animalcula, efcap- 



* ed from the circumference and fides of the vef- 



* fel, I began to fufpedt that, inftead of palling 



* through the fluid and ftriking the animalcula, 



* it came diredly from the metallic cup to the 



* conduftor, ghding over the furface of the in- 

 ' fufion. I therefore changed the plan. On a 



* polifhed cryilal plate, well wiped, I put a little 



* hollow piece of wax, and faftened two brafs 

 < wires, with obtufe points, from two oppofite 



* extremities near the furface ; one communicate 

 ' ed within, and the other without, the jar. Thi^ 



* apparatus 



