Sir W. Snow Harris’s Researches in Statical Electricity. 83 
whilst the existing attractive force of the charged body P on 
surrounding matter is sensibly diminished. The electrical state 
thus induced in the neutral body N, is a peculiar state: its 
near face n, immediately presented to the charged body P, 
assumes a condition of electrical force directly opposed to that of 
P, whilst its remote face, p, exhibits the same kind of force. On 
the other hand, the near face of the charged body P immediately 
opposed to N, although its electrical state is still the same, ex- 
hibits a very considerable increase of charge ; and this is attended 
by such a diminution of charge in its remote face r, that this 
face r will, under some circumstances, not only approach neu- 
trality, but it may actually pass that limit. The subsequent or 
actually existing states of these two bodies, therefore, instead of 
being as represented in fig. 1, may be better conceived by the dia- 
gram,fig. 2. This peculiar electrical disturbance, both in charged 
or neutral bodies, has been designated not unaptly by the term 
electrical induction. Conceiving that both these disturbances were 
present in every case of electrical attractive force, and that it was 
from these disturbances the subsequent force of attraction resulted, 
I was led, so long since as the year 1839, to consider the action of 
the charged on the neutral body, fig. 1, as a primary or direct 
inductive force, and the action of the now changed neutral body, 
fig. 2, upon the charged body, as a sort of secondary or reflected 
inductive force*, two terms which have since been fully recog- 
nized and employed by many cultivators of this branch of science. 
4, Both the single- and double-fluid hypotheses of electricity 
have been employed in explanation of this induced electrical dis. 
turbance in bodies, and not altogether without success. The 
theory of two electrical fluids supposes a disunion of the com- 
bined electrical elements, and a greater or less accumulation of 
them in opposite parts of the given conductors. The single-fluid 
theory supposes an actual displacement of electricity in each of 
the opposed bodies, and a disturbed or new distribution of it. 
Although it is far from probable that either of these hypotheses 
is a true explanation, yet either may be employed in the way of 
elucidation, and to facilitate our comprehension of the kind of 
action we have to deal with. I adopt here the latter hypothesis, 
as being of a simple character, well calculated to represent the 
phzenomena. 
5, Assuming, then, the presence of a peculiar agency every- 
where existing in the matter of our globe, and termed electricity, 
and supposing it to be of such a nature as to tend always to an 
equilibrium of distribution, then when a charged body, P, fig. 1, 
which we will assume to be charged positively, is directly opposed 
to a neutral body N, the tendency of the superabundant elec- 
* Transactions of ear rif Society for 1839, 
