the Light of Bodies in a State of Conibufion* 2 1 1 



has been very mucli impaired bv long keeping; when 

 finely powdered and placed within the circuit of an elcdrical 

 batter}', will exhibit by their fcattered particles a fliowTr 

 of light; but tliefe particles will appear reddilh, or their 

 phofphoric power will be fufficient only to detain the 

 yellow, orange, and red ravs. When fpirits of wine are in a 

 iimilar manner brought within the circuit of a battery, a 

 fimilar efte6l may he difcovered ; its particles diverge in feveral 

 direftions, dilplaying a moft beautiful golden appearance. The 

 metallic calces are, of all bodies, thofe which are rendered 

 phofphoric with the greateft difficulty. But even thefe may 

 be fcattered into a fhower of red luminous particles by the 

 electric ftroke. 



JC'orwich, Oct. 7, 1784, 



POSTSCRIPT by the Rev. Dr. Price. 



BY the phofphoric force mentioned in the laft paragraph of 

 this paper, Mr. Morgan appears to mean, not the force with 

 which a phofphoric body emits, but the force with which it 

 abforbs and retains light. This laft force is proportioned 

 to the degree of attra6tion between the phofphoric body and 

 light ; and therefore muft (as Mr. Morgan obferves) be 

 iveakefi when it emits fo freely the light it has imbibed as not 

 to retain thofe rays which adhere to it moft ftrongly. Ac- 

 cording to Mr. Morgan's theory, thefe rays ^re thofe which 



E e 2 arc 



