444 



Nov. 12. 



13 



Time. 



H. M. 



3 20 



4 



6 

 11 

 11 



P 

 30 









 30 A.M. 



On Electricity. 



.M. 



Therm. 



h 



57 

 54 

 54 

 51 



This cx])eriment seems to prove that water had produced its 

 utmost cfiect on the intensity of the electricity when the column 

 weighed 3 OZ. 176grs. at tlie temperature of 54; but 1 observed 

 that when the cohunn was driest, if the electricity was taken off 

 by touching the cap of tlie electrometer, it rose again to its for- 

 mer divergence rather slowly ; and when it was taken off whilst 

 the column contained most moisture, it rose to the greater part 

 of its former divergence almost as quickly as the hand could be 

 withdrawn. My next object was therefore to compare the in- 

 crements of moisture with the frequency of the divergence, which 

 I conceive to be a measure of the quantity of electricity arriving 

 at a certain intensity which the column can give off. It was 

 therefore detached from the balance, and suspended before a fire 

 one hour and a half, when the effect on the electrometer was nil ; 

 it was then replaced upon the balance,, and the following results 

 w'ere obtained. 



Time. 



Dec. 8. 



9. 



M. 



30 P.M. 

 15 

 15 

 15 



10 30 



11 

 11 30A.M 



Time required to 

 recover diverg. 



3 minutes 

 3 1 ditto 

 1 ditto 

 1 ditto 



30 seconds 



To avoid the objection which might be made to the silk thread, 

 1 constructed a short column whose extremities were pressed by 

 brass plates, which were connected by glass stems covered with 

 sealing-wax in such manner that it did not touch them, and 

 was surrounded liy a cvlinder containing a moistened piece of 

 linen, so that the column was submitted to the action of an 

 atmosphere of perfect humidity; but tlie insulation of its supports 

 was perfectly preserved. But as I could not conveniently weigh 

 this column, and as it was necessary to have its disks of larger 



*■ I touched tlic electrometer ten times durin>; the preceding ten minutes, 

 and found tlie divergence fully recovered to lOJ at lib, Ini. 



diameter 



