Miscellanies. ; 395 
The most prominent circumstances which appeared to add to her 
electrical power, were an atmosphere of about 80° Fah., moderate 
exercise, tranquillity of mind, and social enjoyment ; these, severally 
or combined, added to her productive power, while the reverse 
diminished it precisely in the same ratio. Of these, a high tem- 
perature evidently had the greatest effect, while the excitement 
diminished as the mercury sunk, and disappeared before it reached 
zero. The lady thinks fear alone would produce the same effect 
by its check on the vital action. | 
We had no evidence that the barometrical condition of the atmos- 
phere exerted any influence, and the result was precisely the same 
whether it were humid or ari 
It is not strange that the lady suffered a severe mental perturba- 
tion from the visitation of a power so unexpected and undesired, in 
addition to the vexation arising from her involuntarily giving sparks 
to every conducting body that came within the sphere of her elec- 
trical influence ; for whatever of the iron stove or its appurtenances, 
or the metallic utensils of her work box, such as ‘needles, scissors, 
knife, pencil, &c. &c. she had occasion to Jay her hands upon, first 
received a spark, producing a consequent twinge at the point of 
contact. 
The imperfection of her insulator is to be regretted, as it was 
only the common Turkey carpet of her parlor, and it could sustain 
an electrical intensity only equal to giving sparks one and a half 
inch long; these were, however, amply sufficient to satisfy the 
most sceptical observer, of the existence in or about her system, o 
an active power that furnished an uninterrupted flow of the elec- 
trical fluid, of the amount of which, perhaps the reader may obtain 
a very definite idea by reflecting upon the following experiments. 
When her finger was brought within one sixteenth of an inch of a 
metallic body, a spark that was heard, seen, and felt, passed every 
second. When she was seated with ber feet on the stove-hearth 
(of iron) engaged with her books, with no motion but that of breath- 
ing and the turning of leaves, then three or more sparks per minute 
would pass to the stove, notwithstanding the insulation of her shoes 
and silk hosiery. Indeed, her easy chair was no protection from 
these inconveniences, for this subtle agent would often find its way 
through the stuffing and covering of its arms to its steel frame work. 
In a few moments she could charge other persons insulated like her- 
self, thus enabling the first individual to pass it on to a second, and 
the second to a third. 
