114 Mfv. J. B. EmmeU on the [Feb. 



ioi the specific gravity of zinc is 7 ; tin 7*3 ; ivon 7-78; copper 

 8-8; silver 10'5 ; lead 113; gold 19*3. With regard to carbon, 

 phosphorus, and sulphur, perhaps there may be some doubt; 

 however, they appear to be more highly positive than the 

 metals; for (Phil. Trans. 1807) Sir H. Davy has proved thajt 

 when a polished metallic plate is separated from contact with 

 sulphur, the sulphur is positive, and the metal negative. Phos- 

 phorus entirely precipitates most, if not all the metals from their 

 acid solutions. Charcoal precipitates many by the assistance 

 of light. From these circumstances, these bodies appear to 

 possess a higher positive energy than the metals have. Should 

 these data be proved to be correct, the following deductions 

 may be supposed to be rendered highly probable : — 



1. The most inflammable soUds have the least tendency to 

 the earth, or the least density. 



2. Those solids which have the greatest attraction for oxygen, 

 have the least tendeacy to the earth, or the least density. 



3. The most iuflanmiable solids, or those which have the least 

 tendency to the earth, are the most highly electro-positive. 



Inflammability arises fiom the greatness of the attraction of a 

 substance for oxygen (supposing the latter the supporter of com- 

 bustion), and this force is proportional to the dittierence of their 

 electrical energies ; and the latter bears an evident relation to 

 the force of gravitation. Some philosophers suppose the parti- 

 cles of every body to possess an invariable electrical state, to 

 which chemical attraction is ascribed ; all corpuscular attraction 

 has been ascribed to it : if this be the case, no solid can be 

 simple; for bodies equally electrified with the same power seem 

 to repel, and certainly do not attract each other; every simple 

 or elementary body must be gaseous ; the cohesion of solids and 

 adhesion of liquids, on this hypothesis, must be owing to the 

 attraction existmg between the different intensities of dissimilar- 

 particles ; therefore all solids and liquids must be compounds, 

 which certainly has not been proved ; nor can it be disproved in 

 the present state of science. Should this hypothesis be proved 

 correct, would it not appear that electrical energy and attraction 

 of gravitation are the same power? That the united energies of 

 the particles of terrestrial matter constitute its attraction, and 

 that the most highly positive bodies (which appear to have the 

 least tendency to the earth) approach most nearly to its mean 

 energy ? Should this hypothesis be proved to be correct, from 

 the manifest connexion between the powers, which has been 

 pointed' out, these queries appear as if they would be answered 

 m the affirmative. In the explanation of the phenomena, how- 

 ever, there is no absolute necessity to assume the existence of 

 electric energies ; for electricity may be regarded as a foreign 

 agent; we may suppose, and upon very good grounds, that it acts 

 only as a decomposing power, and that those bodies which hav,e 



