the Lig/jf of BoMcs in a State of Combuflon, 2 1 1 



has been very much impaired by long keeping; when 

 finely powdered and placed wltliln the circuit of an eledrical 

 battery, will exhibit by the^ir fcattered particles a fhower 

 of light; but thefe particles will appear reddi(h, or their 

 phofphoric power will be fufficient only to detain the 

 yellow, orange, and red rays. When fpirits of wine are in a 

 fimilar manner brought within the circuit of a battery, a 

 limilar effect may be difcovered ; its particles diverge in feveral 

 dire6lIons, difplaylng a mod beautiful golden appearance. The 

 metallic calces are, of all bodies, thbfe which are rendered 

 phofphoric with the grcateft difficulty. But even thefe may 

 be fcattered into a Ihower of red luminous particles by the 

 ele^lric flroke. 



«♦ Norwich, Oct. 7, 1784. 



POSTSCRIPT by the Rev. Dr. Price. 



BY the phofphork force mentioned in the laft paragraph of 

 this paper, Mr. Morgan appears to mean, not the force with 

 which a phofphoric body emits^ but the force with which it 

 abforbs and reiams light. This laft force is proportioned 

 to the degree of attradion between the phofphoric body and 

 light; and therefore muft (as Mr. Morgan obferves) be 

 weakefl when it emits fo freely the light it has imbibed as not 

 to retain thofe rays which adhere to it moft ftrongly. Ac- 

 cording to Mr. Morgan's theory, thefe rays are thofe which 



E e 2 ai^ 



