34 Experiment on Silk Stockings. [Book IV. 



All fubftances are not attracted with equal force by 

 electrified bodies ; in general thofe, which are in their 

 texture the denfeft and mod compact, are more readily 

 attracted and repelled, and are fubject to the influence 

 of electricity at a greater diftance than thofe which are 

 looter and more porous in their confidence. A rib- 

 band or thread, when waxed or gummed, becomes 

 more fubject to this attraction and repulfio'n than it 

 was in its original ftate. Of all fubftances, gold leaf 

 appears the moft eafily affected by electrical attrac- 

 tion. 



Electrified bodies adhere fo clofely together, that 

 the circumftance has given occafion to a new term in 

 philofophy, and it has been called the eleftrical cohefion. 

 This fact was pleafantly illuftrated by fome experi- 

 ments on filk ftockings, communicated to the Royal 

 Society by Mr. Robert Symner a few years ago. Two 

 filk ftockings, the one black and the other white, had 

 been for fome time upon one leg, and were then rub- 

 bed with the hand, and both pulled off together j it 

 appears that in this cafe the two ftockings will adhere 

 together in fuch a manner as to require a confiderable 

 force to feparate them. M. Briifon, who repeated the 

 experiment, obferves, that after he had feparated the 

 white from the black flocking another phenomenon 

 occurred j for while he held them, one in each hand, 

 fufpended in the air, they fwelled and puffed up as 

 wide as if the leg had remained in them j when they 

 were brought within terror twelve inches of each other, 

 they rufhed precipitately upon one another, and ad- 

 hered forcibly together ; but this' adhefion was not fo 

 great as that which took place while the ftockings were 

 one within the other. Mr. Symner fuppofed, that the 

 iuccefs of this experiment depended upon the contrail 

 between the black and white colour ; but M. Briflbn 

 i , proves 



