[ ^39 1 



OBSERVATIONS on the THEORY of ELECTRIC ATTRAC- 

 TION and REPULSION. By the Rev. GEORGE MILLER, 



F. r. a D. 



JjEFORE that the theory of a fingle eledric fluid was propofed, ReadJ»n.5tkk 

 no difficulty occurred in the explanation of the attractions and re- '^^'' 

 pulfions obferved to arife from eledricity. If we admit that there 

 are two diftind eledric fluids, each of which ftronirly attrads the 

 other, but confifts of panicles mutually repulfive; it becomes eafy 

 to account for the attradion fubfifting between bodies in different 

 ftates of eledricity, and the repuUion between thofe in the fame. 

 But when Dr. Franklin*, obferving that a man, Handing upon a 

 non-condudor, could not eledrify himfelf, but that he could 

 eledrify another perfon alfo ftanding upon a non-condudor, was 

 induced to regard the operation of exciting eledricity only as a 

 transfer of one and the fame fluid from one body to another; it 

 was found to be difiicult to reconcile to the new theory the mutual 

 repulfion of bodies in that ftate which is, according to this theory, 



S 2 denominated 



• Dr. Prieftley's Hiftoiy of Ekaricity, p. i6i. 



