1 1 2 "Thoughts concerning Electricity 



them, those bodies will thereby be made to contain less electricity than 

 they would otherwise do, but yet the electric fluid that surrounds them 

 will be just as much compressed as it would [be] if that power was not 

 applied. 



It will surely be needless to warn the reader here not to confound 

 compression and condensation. 



201] I now proceed to my hypothesis. 



DEF. i. When the electric fluid within any body is more compressed 

 than in its natural state, I call that body positively electrified: when it 

 is less compressed, I call the body negatively electrified. 



It is plain from what has been here said that if any number of con- 

 ducting bodies be joined by conductors, and one of the bodies be positively 

 electrified, that all the others must be so too. 



DEF. 2. When any body contains more of the electric fluid than it 

 does in its natural state, I call it overcharged. When it contains less, 

 I call it undercharged. 



202] HYP. ist. Every body overcharged with electricity repels an 

 overcharged body, and attracts an undercharged one. 



HYP. 2nd. Every undercharged body attracts an overcharged body, 

 and repels an undercharged one. 



HYP. 3rd. Whenever any body overcharged with electricity is brought 

 near any other body, it makes it less able to contain electricity than before. 



HYP. 4th. Whenever an undercharged body is brought near another 

 it makes it more able to contain electricity. 



203] COR. I. Whenever any body at a distance from any other 

 electrified body is positively electrified it will be overcharged, and if 

 negatively electrified it will be undercharged. 



COR. II. If two bodies, both perfectly insulated, so that no electricity 

 can escape from them, be positively electrified and then brought near to 

 each other, as they are both overcharged they will each, by the action of 

 the other upon it, be rendered less capable of containing electricity, there- 

 fore, as no electricity can escape from them, the fluid within them will 

 be rendered more compressed, just as air included within a bottle will 

 become more compressed either by heating the air or by squeezing the 

 bottle into less compass; but it is evident that the bodies will remain 

 just as much overcharged as before. 



204] COR. III. If two bodies be placed near together, and then equally 

 positively electrified, they will each be overcharged, but less so than they 

 would [be] if they had not been placed near together. 



It may perhaps be said that this is owing to the electric atmosphere 

 not having so much room to spread itself when the two bodies are brought 



