Sect. I.] Electriciti/. gg 



He taught the existence of two electric fluids, not 

 independent, but always coexistent, and coun- 

 teracting one another*. In this opinion he 1ms 

 been followed by some gentlemen of very respect- 

 able ciiaracter in Great Britain and on tlie con- 

 tinent of Europe ; though by far the greater num- 

 ber of the learned appear still to be in favour of 

 the Franklinian theory f. 



The progressive improvements of electrical ma- 

 chines, and of the various instruments for exhibit- 

 ing the phenomena of this science, have generally 

 kept pace with the gradual developement of its 

 principles. Hence the honour of tliese improve- 

 ments is, in general, due to the gentlemen already 

 named. Beside these, several artists of respectable 

 character have done much to forward the mecha- 

 nical part of this branch of philosophy. 



Soon after the grand discoveries of Franklin, 

 Mr. ^^pinus, a philosopher of high character in the 

 Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg, assuming 

 his principles, offered to the world some new and 

 interesting views on this branch of science. Struck 

 with the .resemblance between the phenomena of 

 electricity and magnetism, and believing that the 

 attractions and repulsions of each might be reduced 

 to regular and similar classes, he attempted to 

 throw the laws of both into a perfectly systematic 

 form, and to introduce the most precise matlienia- 

 tical calculations into regions w hich were before 



* See Additional Notes — (E). 



f The above-stated flicts, relating to the ii?e and progress of 

 electricity, are chietly taken from Dr. Fdestiey'a liisiory vf JHec^ 

 trieiti/, 1/94., London^ 4to. 



