Additional Notes, 44 S 



resinous etlicr, which is combined witli the glass. And resin, 

 on the contrary, liolds within it, in combination, much vitreous 

 electric ether, which constitutes a part of it, and which more 

 forcibly attracts resinous electric ether from surrounding bo- 

 dies, which stands on it, mixed with a less proportion of vi- 

 treous ether, like an atmosphere, but cannot unite with the 

 vitreous ether which is combined with the resin. 



5. Hence the non-conductors of electricity are of two 

 kinds, and opposite to each other; the one class of the vi- 

 treous, the other of the resinous. But the most perfect con- 

 ductors, such as metal, water, and charcoal, having neither 

 kind of electric ether combined with them, though sur^ 

 rounded with both, suffer both kinds to pass through them 

 easily. 



6. Great accumulation or condensation of the separate 

 electric ethers attract each other so strongly that they will 

 break a passage through non-conducting bodies. Hence trees 

 and stone walls are rent by lightning. 



7. When artificial or natural accumulations of these sepa- 

 rate ethers are in very small quantity or intensity, they pass 

 slowly, and with difficulty, from one body to another, and 

 require the best conductors for this purpose. Whence many 

 of the phenomena of the Torpedo, or Gi/mnotus, and of 

 Galvanism. 



8. The electric ethers may be separately accumulated by 

 the contact of conductors with non-conductors — by vicinity 

 of the two ethers — by heat — and by decomposition. 



9. When these two ethers unite suddenly, and with ex- 

 plosion, a liberation of light and heat takes place, as in all 

 chemical explosions. Accordingly it is said that a smell is 

 perceptible from electric sparks, and even a taste, which must 

 be supposed to arise from new combinations or decomposi^ 

 tions. 



The theory founded on the principles above stated is sup- 

 posed, by those who adopt it, to solve many difficulties which 

 ran scarcely be accounted for on the theory of Franklin. 

 To say that the former mode of accounting for the electrical 

 phenomena will probably be found the true one, would be, 

 in the present state of our knowledge, to pronounce rashly; 

 but if this subject should ever be developed, it will probably 

 be found that Electricity ought to be considered as a branch 

 of Chemistry ; that its phenomena result from the union of 

 two substances, by the chemical combination of which ex^ 

 plosion is produced, and light and heat are liberated* 



