[ M7 ] 



difcuflion. This principle is faturation. * Dodor Prieftky has ex- 

 plained the communication of the redundant fluid of a body pofi- 

 tively eledlrified to another, a part of whofe fluid had been previ- 

 oufly expelled, by fuppofing that it was more ftrongly attradled by 

 the other body, than by its own which had more than its natural 

 fhare; and f Mr. Cavallo has in the fame manner accounted for 

 the mutual attraction of bodies in different fl;&tes of eledlricity. 



I applying this principle to the folution of eledric phasno- 

 mena three forces muft be confidered : i ft, the attradlion fubfifl:- 

 ing between each body and its own portion of the eledric fluid ; 

 zdly, the attradlion which may fubfifl; between each body and the 

 portion of fluid belonging to the other ; and sdly, the repulfion 

 fubfifting between the two portions of the eledric fluid. 



That the attradlion fubfifting between two bodies in oppofitc 

 ftates of eledlricity may be explained, it is neceffary to confider 

 previoufly the cafe of two bodies in their natural or ordinary ftate. 

 In this cafe the force fubfifting between each body and its own 

 portion of the eledlric fluid is not in a ftate of faturation, becaufe 

 it muft be fufficiently ftrong to counterbalance the elafticity of 

 the fluid. Each body is therefore ftill capable of being attradled 

 by the fluid belonging to the other, and each portion of the fluid 

 is alfo capable of fuch attradlion. This force, if it fliould operate 



T 2 alone, 



* Hiftory of Ekdlricity, p. 253. f Vol.1, p. 109. 



