644 JAMAICA. 



equally diftant from the walls on every fide, and from the cieling 

 and floor above and below, affords a tolerably fafe fituation in any 

 room whatever; and what indeed may be deemed qnite free from 

 danger of any ftroke by lightning, except what may happen from fplin- 

 ters, or other materials violently fcattered about by the force of an 

 explofion. The heft fecurity, and the only one to be relied on, is, 

 however, a rod or metallic conducflor ; which in countries particularly 

 fubjedl to thunder and lightning, ought to be fixed at every building. 

 It is true that not many buildings are flruck, nor perfons dcftroyed, 

 in a year; but in all countries there are particular fituations more ex- 

 pofed to fuch accidents than others, and there are minds fo flrongly 

 impreflcd with the apprchenfion of them, as to be very unhappy every 

 time a little thunder is within their hearing ; the advantage of fixing fuch 

 condudor does not therefore confift alone in making us fafe, for it 

 contributes alfo to make us eafy. The firoke it iecures us from 

 might have chanced perhaps but once in our lives; but it relieves us 

 a hundred times from thofe painful apprehenfions, which diflurb our 

 happinefs. 



Terrible as this fluid appears when left at liberty to do mifchief, 

 it is certain, that with refpecl to its operation upon animal bodies the 

 efi'ed: is fo infl:antaneous that no pain can be felt; it is the eafiefl: of 

 all deaths; and in this the mercy of the Divine Being is obvioully 

 nianifefted : the particular ufes of it in the grand machinery of the 

 world are not as yet invefliigated to any extent, but as far as they are 

 difcerned it appears fubfervient to a variety of great and beneficial 

 purpofes. 



A phyfician at Paris is faid to have introduced the praflice of elec- 

 trifying the bed-chambers of fick perfons, by exciting frefh currents 

 of the etherial fire, and thereby expelling noxious vapours, or a peflii- 

 lential difpofition of the atmofphere ; and it is aflerted, that this me- 

 thod has been found, on repeated experiments, a far greater purifier of 

 foul air than even a ventilator. 



The lightning, which caufes fo much difmay, contributes doubtlefs 

 to the prefervation of animal life, and the prevention of pefl:ilential 

 diftempers; fuch of them, at Icafl-, as owe their origin to a putrid, ftag- 

 nated, and contaminated atmofphere. They could not probably be 

 difiipated, and the air reltored to falubrity, without the agitation of 

 winds, or the virtues of this fubtle fluid excited into aftion ; this, 

 by confuming the fulphureous and malignant vapours, which made 

 the air detrimental to health, adapts it to fufliain the life of men and 

 other animals, and probably even of vegetables. Ordinary obfervatiort 



on 



