‘Wa Obfervations on Animal Eleéirieity, 143 
_ & opportunity of obferving the -pleafant phenomenon, that 
_ the negative electricity atline from cold, after pulling off 2 
cold and putting on-a warm coat, was {peedily converted into 
pofitive, or the degrees next to it. When the thermometer 
5 dttood feyera] degrees above the freezing point, and a fome- 
what cold ara preyailed, the latter was s fificient to produce 
negative oro electricity, as I experienced , four, times. OF 
43 times, while I fat lightly clothed in a warm apartment, 
_ the electricity was 8 times 0, thrice— , and twice w eakly +. 
Nay, when I clothed myfelf well, and remained any time at 
a cooler part of the room, fuch as the open door or window, 
it found the electricity either negative or weakly pofitive, For 
producing this effect, it is in breneral fufficient if a part only 
of the warm body be expofed to cold. When the electricity 
was ‘commonly +, while [ fat at perfect reft, on my ufuat 
q chair, I oftentimes remarked that it was perceptibly nega- 
tive if my feet were extremely cold, without being baa to 
; aflign aay other caufe for, this phenomenon. It is, how-= 
ever, fully proved by the following circumftances; During 
23, times that I wafhed my hands. ra face with cold water, 
‘ the eleétricity was only 15 times perceptibly +, 8 times—, 
£ thrice 9, and 7 times weakly +; though a moment nes 
or after, it was, for the moft part, frongly si ser 
That cold impedes pofitive electricity, or makes it lefs and . 
seduces it to o, may be €afily- comprehended ; becaufe cold. 
© caufes every thing to contract, leflens the pores of animal 
Dodies, and, by thefe means, obftruéts the efcape of the clec- 
q tric matter. That it, however, conyerts this electricity into 
‘hegative, or gives to the external part of animal bodies the 
; ‘property of extraGing from other bodies, when in contaét 
; with eh a part of their natural reuse is not eal, to be 
fined a iG of their sais quantity. of electricity. , But 
hen, by the contraction of the pores, they receive no more 
of the eleétric matter from the interior parts of the body 
they muft, in order that the equilibrium be kept up, not fru 
tain n any Jofs of it. This lofs,is either real or apparent, The 
former can {carcely he, affewted, as there are not fufficient 
grounds for fugh an.idea. Yor if it be faid that the electric 
ba oe 4+ : matter 
