12 Quarterly German Magazine. 



a human body in tlie circuit of the conductor, there follows 

 a contraction of the muscles, which have been struck by the 

 fluid and an excitement of the nerves, which is felt as an 

 electric shock. If we break a part of the electric wire, then 

 the two electricities can unite with one another through the 

 air. This union takes place in the form of light and sound. 

 In the part, which is interrupted, pieces of pasteboard, wood, 

 glass etc etc., which have been inserted therein, will be 

 pierced through or shattered to pieces; combustible bodies 

 will be set on fire, in short, we can observe in a small way 

 the whole of the phenomenon of hghtning. Indeed, Hghtning 

 is nothing more than a discharge of electricity from a cloud 

 positively charged, to the surface of the earth, which is ne- 

 gatively charged ; or from two clouds which are charged with 

 opposite states of electricity. The effect of the hghtning con- 

 ductor is, that the electricity, which is attracted through de- 

 composition towards the point of the Hghtning conductor, al- 

 ready unites itseK by a shght tension with the opposite elec- 

 tricity in the cloud, and thus wards off the vehement dis- 

 charge. 



Mr. Holz, a private gentleman hving in Berlin, has made 

 an interesting application of the decomposing effect of elec- 

 tricity in the machine which has taken his name, viz : "Holz's 

 machine", with the assistance of w^hich very violent electric 

 shocks can be produced. A pane of glass is provided with 

 several indentations, in which are fixed pointed spikes from 

 so-called vegetable parchement. When a small quantity of 

 electricity is imparted to it by touching it with a glass rod 

 or something of the same kind, which has been excited by 

 friction, and then a second plate of glass which stands very 

 near the first plate, be quickly turned, the electricity in the 



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