E L E 2! 



municat<>s such violent shocks that men 

 and horses are smick down by them. 

 This power is dependent upon the will 

 of the animal, which gives it that direc- 

 tion it pleases, and renders it effective 

 even at a distance. It is, however, dis- 

 sipated by use, just as muscular power is. 

 Carter. The organ, which is the seat of 

 this wonderful faculty in the electric eel, 

 extends along the under side of the tail, 

 occupying about half its thickness. 



ELEC'TRICAL MACHINE, a part of electri- 

 cal apparatus constructed for the purpose 

 of collecting the electric fluid in quan- 

 tity, so as to charge jars, &c., to exhibit 

 its effects in a very sensible manner. It 

 has been constructed of many forms, either 

 for the sake of convenience, or to render 

 it more efficient. The most common is 

 that which consists of a glass cylinder 

 fixed in such a manner that it may be 

 turned by a winch ; a cushion supported 

 by a glass pillar, and having a piece of 

 silk between it and the cylinder, and a 

 metallic tube called the prime conductor, 

 supported also by a glass pillar ; this is 

 the cylindrical machine. Another form 

 is that represented below. It has a plate 

 of glass instead of the cylinder. 



ELEc'TRic*.LlltrBBTO,apart of electri- 

 cal apparatus consisting of black oiled 

 silk, which serves to aid the friction in 

 an electrical machine. 



ELEC'TRIC FLCID, a term for that which 

 produces electrical effects ; the matter of 

 electricity. 



ELEC'TRIC CONPF.NSER, an instrument by 

 which small quantities of electricity may 

 be accumulated and rendered apparent ; 

 B is a brass plate supported by a glass 

 stem A is another brass plate of the same 



ELE 



size, capable of being placed as close to 

 it as possi- 



-c. 



ELEC'TRIC JAR. See LES DEN JAR. 



ELECTRIC'ITY (see ELECTRIC) ; the name 

 of an unknown natural power which pro- 

 duces a vast variety of phenomena, the 

 first of which were observed (by Thales, 

 A.C. 600) in the mineral substance called 

 amber by us, but electron by the Greeks. 

 It was thence called electric power ; and 

 the laws, hypotheses, experiments, &c., 

 by which the electrical phenomena are at- 

 tempted to be explained and illustrated 

 constitute electricity. If a glass tube be 

 rubbed with a dry silk handkerchief, and 

 then approached to bits of paper, cotton, 

 feathers, &c., it will first attract these bo- 

 dies, then repel them. After a while the 

 excited body loses its influence, but it 

 may be renewed for any number of times 

 by friction. If we substitute a stick of 

 sealing-wax for the glass tube, and rub it 

 with a dry, warm flannel, it will, when 

 approached to a feather, exhibit the same 

 phenomena of attraction and repulsion, 

 and in the same order ; but if we present 

 the excited wax to a feather which has 

 received the repulsive property from the 

 glass, or the excited glass to the light sub- 

 stance repelled by the wax, strong at- 

 traction will be manifested in both cases. 

 From these phenomena is deduced the 

 doctrine of two electricities, the vitrt- 

 ous and resinous of the theory of Du Fay, 

 or the positive and negative of the theory 

 of Dr. Franklin. The same phenomena 

 gave rise to the terms electrical attraction 

 and electrical repulsion. 



ELECTRIC KITE, a contrivance devised 

 by Dr. Franklin to verify his hypothesis- 

 respecting the identity of electricity and 

 lightning. It differs nothing in shape 

 from a school-boy's kite, but is covered 

 with silk or varnished paper, and armed 

 with a wire. The string with which thf 

 kite is raised is hemp, with a piece of 

 silk cord or ribbon next the hand. From 

 a key suspended at the union of the 

 twine and silk, when the kite is raised 

 during a thunder-storm, a Leyden jar 

 may be charged. The experiment is not 

 perfectly free from danger. 



ELEC'TRIC SPARK. If a body contain- 

 ing only its natural share of electricity 

 be presented sufficiently near to a boay 



