[ 142 ] 



This theory very ingenioufly avoids the difficulty of explaining 

 the cafe of eledrical repulfion, by refolving it into an attradion 

 towards the furrounding medium. It feems however to be liable 

 to two objedions. In the firft place, inflead of affuming unau- 

 thorized principles with the preceding theory, it omits the confide- 

 ration of one whofe exiftence feems to be afcertained by experi- 

 ments. If a body be in either ftate of eledricity, it wnll induce in 

 an adjacent body the contrary ftate, unlil it fhall have come 

 within a certain diftance. This pioperty, which has been afcer- 

 tained by various experiments, indicates a repulfive force fubfifting 

 between the portions of the eledric fluid that belong to the adjacent 

 bodies ; and this theory makes no allowance for fuch a repulfion. 

 The fundamental principle of it is merely a diffufion of the eledric 

 fluid, and is * thus ftatcd by M. DeLuc: " the eledlric matter tends 

 towards all fubftances, aad the more flrongly in the fame propor- 

 tion in which they poffefs a fmaller quantity." In the fecond place, 

 it does not appear, when carefully confidered, to afford any afTift- 

 ance towards the removal of the grand difficulty, the mutual repul- 

 fion of bodies negatively eledlrified. If two bodies negatively elec- 

 trified be placed at a fmall diftance, they will both, according to 

 M. De Luc's expl.ination, receive the eledric fluid from the inter- 

 mediate air, which will confequently retain a fmaller portion than 

 the furroundin? atmofphere From the law above-mentioned it 

 ihould follow, that the redundant fluid of the exterior air fhould by 



diffufion 



• " Ln loi fuivanfe f'lfTit: feule : La matiere elcftrique tend vers toutes les fub- 

 « ftTiccs, d'autant plus fortement, qu'elles en poffedcnt moins." Journal dePhyfique, 

 Juin.1790. 



