GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AS TO THE NATURE OF ELECTRICAL ACTION. 245 



peculiar states is exerted between bodies whose electrical conditions are such as to be 

 subversive of the inductive influence, then the bodies recede from each other. Such 

 is, in plain terms, the amount of our experience of the nature of electrical attraction 

 and repulsion ; and every hypothesis of a more refined and extended character must 

 include these elementary actions. 



83. Electrical divergence is, unquestionably, an extremely intricate phenomenon. 

 If it be assumed to depend on a repulsive force immediately impressed upon the 

 molecules of certain kinds of matter, then it must be admitted to be a species of 

 repulsive action essentially different from any repulsive agency in nature of which we 

 have the least experience. Its operation is at great distances, and is exerted between 

 distinct and concentrated accumulations of the repulsive matter disposed on the sur- 

 faces of bodies ; and whilst thus exerted at sensible distances, the assumed force of 

 repulsion is between the molecules themselves at insensible distances, either altogether 

 controlled by some other force, or otherwise so feeble as to be incapable of producing 

 an electrical diffusion by expansion, under an extremely diminished atmospheric 

 pressure (75, w. 80, x.). 



84. Many of the phenomena treated of in the course of this paper do not seem to 

 have been contemplated in the more perfect theories of electricity : they may not, 

 however, on that account be the less deserving of consideration ; indeed, it is ex- 

 tremely uncertain whether any views of electricity hitherto adopted have been so 

 completely verified as to render all doubts of their accuracy unpardonable. The con- 

 ditions of electrical action generally assumed as the basis of calculation, do not un- 

 frequently give rise to equations extremely complicated — in some cases very imprac- 

 ticable ; and although the highest efforts of genius have been exerted in vanquishing 

 the difficulties, it remains yet to be seen, whether, by an extended induction of facts, 

 we may not succeed in arriving at easier views of electricity, and hence bring this 

 department of science more completely under the dominion of analysis. 



Plymouth, 

 December ], 1833. 



CORRIGENDA. 



P. 214, line 7, for essentially involved, &c. read intimately associated with the molecules of . . . . 



P. 214, line 4 from the bottom, /or A read a 



P. 215, line 23 from the top,/o?' fig. 1. read fig. 2. 



P. 218, Experiment h.for (56.) read (57.) 



P. 220, line 4 from the top, /or (56.) read (57.) 



MDCCCXXXIV. 2 K 



