ELECTRICITY. 3%9 



conductor, being then insulated, he may be consi- 

 dered as a part of the prime conductor ; and any 

 part of his body will exhibit all the same appear- 

 ances which the prime conductor itself will do. 

 Thus, if the finger of any person standing upon the 

 floor be presented to him, a spark of fire will seem 

 to issue from him, and both he and the person that 

 receives it will feel a painful sensation, like a 

 pricking; and the same snapping noise will be heard. 

 Every part of his body will then attract light sub- 

 stances ; and the bits of feathers, or the human 

 figures above-mentioned, cut in paper, and laid on 

 a plate, will perform the same dances that were 

 mentioned before, if the palm of his hand be ex- 

 panded over them. Also the hairs of his head 

 will repel one another ; and many of them will 

 stand upright. As these electric sparks, which 

 are attended with a sensation moderately painful, 

 will be excited wherever he is touched, or wherever 

 he touches any other person, this experiment will 

 furnish great diversion. 



The electric spark has not only the appearance 

 of fire, but is capable of actually setting fire to 

 various substances that are easily inflamed. Thus, 

 if spirits of wine be held in a spoon, and an elec- 

 tric spark be drawn from the spoon so as to pass 

 through any part of the spirits, they will catch fire, 

 and burn as if they had been lighted by a candle. 

 The spoon in which the spirits are contained may 

 either be connected by the prime conductor, and 

 the spark drawn through them by a person stand- 

 ing on the floor ; or the spoon may be held by a 

 person standing on the floor, and the spark be 

 drawn through them by a brass rod, either con- 

 nected immediately with the prime conductor, or 



