410 PELTIER ON THE CAUSES OF THE 
blished until an overcharge of inferior vapours again causes the — 
same order of phenomena to re-commence. 
58. The case is different when the resolution of the vapours 
is of the second kind, when it is the superior clouds which have 
descended after their condensation. The storms which deter- 
mine this depression of the superior vapours are always very — 
violent, the rains are considerable and often of long continuance. 
It is not only the inferior stratum, it is a mass more or less thick 
of condensed vapours descending from the high regions, which 
dissolves into rain, after having discharged their powerful resin- 
ous tension, either by sudden agitations of the air, or by light- 
ning between clouds of opposite tension or with the ground. 
In these storms the wind is always more violent, more sudden, 
and more capricious than in vitreous storms. Considerable 
showers follow these discharges, and very often the weather re- 
mains rainy until the atmosphere has lost its superabundance 
of vapours, or favourable winds have carried into other regions 
the long rains which follow the lowering of the superior va- 
pours. During these storms organized beings have their sum- 
mit in a vitreous state, that is to say, below the normal state ; 
this state, contrary to that which is natural to us, causes an 
uneasiness which it is difficult to define, and may produce hurt- 
ful effects on nervous and sanguine temperaments. In the 
natural state, or even when it is resinous with exaggeration, the 
superior extremities form the resinous pole of a current, whilst 
in the contrary state they form its vitreous pole. Lastly, if the 
vapours possess a high electric tension, if they approach suffi- 
ciently near to plants to permit the exchange to be made with 
the ground through their intermediation, the evaporation from 
them may be accelerated so as to destroy the vegetation and 
render the leaves yellow, as is seen after waterspouts, strokes of 
lightning, and even dry and red fogs*. Resinous storms are 
also very frequently formed in the lower stratum of the atmo- 
sphere; but this subject is too extensive to be treated inciden- 
tally here; we reserve it for a special work. 
59. Wishing to restrain myself in this first Memoir to'the indi- 
cation of the means adapted to ascertain the resinous induction 
of the globe and its most immediate effects, I have been obliged 
* Observations et Recherches Expérimentales sur les Trombes, §§ 168, 178, 
p- 159. 
