26 Mechanical Philosophy. [Chap.!. 



made of the effects produced by electricity on 

 finimal bodies. In these inquiries the abbe Nollet 

 greatly distinguished himself. He pursued his in- 

 .vestigations with singular ingenuity, labour, and 

 expense; and opened a new and noble field of 

 electrical discoveries. The application of electri- 

 city to gro'\\'ing vegetables was first made by 

 Air. Maimbra;^, of Edinburgh, ^vho found that, in 

 certain cases, it expedited the progress of vegeta- 

 tion. In these experiments he was followed by 

 tlie abbe Nollet, M. Jallabert of Geneva, Mr. Boze 

 before-mcnUoiied, and a number of others on the 

 continent of Europe, who all drew the same con* 

 elusions*. 



In the midst of the general attention, and the 

 deep interest which this subject now began to ex- 

 cite throughout the philosophic world, Dr. Frank- 

 lin, in 1752, after ha\ing been for some time en- 

 gaged iu making new and interesting experiments, 

 discovered the identity of the electric fluid and lights 

 ning-f-y a discovery of the greatest practical utility j 



* See Additional Notes — (D). 



t There are persons who believe, but probably without suffi- 

 cient foundation, tliat ihis fact, and several otlicrs relating to 

 electricity, generally supposed to be modern discoveries, were 

 known to the ancients. Those who wish to see tliis opinion in- 

 geniously and learnedly defended, w^ill be gratified by a perusal 

 of M. Duteub' work, bi-fore quoted ; and also, an interesting paper 

 in the Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Man- 

 chester, vol. iii, by William Falconer, M, D. F. R. S. To which 

 may be added a curious passage in signer Boccalini's Advertise- 

 vtcntsfrom Parnassus (Century 1, Chap.-iO,) published more than 

 one hundred years before the date of Franklin's discovery. For 

 a reference to this passage, I ajii indebted to the rev. Dr. Nisbet, 

 president of Dickinson College, Pennsylvania ; -a gentleman 

 whose profound erudilioUj embracing the literature and science 



