CALORIC AND ELECTRICITY. 43f) 



ley's Hist, of Electricity, p. 127.) But the same 

 thing is fully demonstrated by the fusion of 

 metals, rocks, gems, and all other bodies by 

 lightning and other forms of electricity, and by 

 the transmission of shocks through living bodies. 



Notwithstanding the mathematical demonstra- 

 tions of the Coulombian theory, it is founded on 

 hypothetical and false assumptions ; and, when 

 applied to the explanation of natural pheno- 

 mena, is evidently of no practical value. It is 

 therefore not surprising, that Sir John Leslie 

 should have observed, in his history of physical 

 science, that it deserved the Dunciad. 



To trace the analogies of caloric and electri- 

 city through all their diversified effects would 

 be an endless task. They are both disengaged 

 from all bodies by friction, pressure, percussion, 

 and by chemical action ; but vary according to 

 the manner in which the operation is performed. 

 It was proved by Becquerel, that the intensity 

 of electricity evolved by pressure was in pro- 

 portion to the force employed from which it 

 would seem, that, when the particles of bodies 

 are forced nearer together suddenly, a portion of 

 their latent caloric is disengaged in the concen- 

 trated form. 



The greatest of all mysteries connected with 

 electricity is the protean power, by which it 

 assumes an endless variety of forms, and thus 

 evades our inspection. We have seen that vol- 



