Nipher—Gravitation and Electrical Action. 167 
positive discharge, and the fused metal falling upon the 
paper was less marked. 
In case of the positive discharge there is of course 
a heat effect. Part of the result is due to this cause. But 
if we are to consider the positive terminal as an exhaust 
terminal, into which the negative electrons are suddenly 
drained and thence into the positive sheets of the con- 
denser, we may explain the result as an explosive condi- 
tion which is suddenly impressed upon the lead. When 
deprived of negative corpuscles, each atom repels every 
other. The negative term in equation (1) has become 
very much greater than the positive, when applied to in- 
ter-atomic attraction under these conditions. 
The negative discharge, which is to be regarded as a 
compression wave could not give a super-charge to atoms 
within the wire, causing them to repel each other. The 
Super-charge is on the outside of the wire. The one- 
fluid theory seems to furnish a more rational explana- 
tion of these phenomena than the two-fiuid theory, as is 
the case in the phenomena of the Crookes tube. 
Some work has been done in the examination of the 
effect of the electrification of air within a glass vessel, 
upon the pressure of the air on the walls of the con- 
taining vessel. A large three-necked Wolff’s bottle was 
used, the three openings being provided with rubber 
stoppers which had been treated with vacuum wax. 
The bottle had a volume of 9.6 litres. Through the cen- 
tral stopper was passed a copper wire to which were at- 
tached 150 pins. The outer part of this wire was in con- 
tact with a metal conductor, having a length of about ten 
feet, which extended to a point near the terminals of the 
influence machine. This conductor was symmetrically 
Placed with respect to the terminals. It terminated in a 
disk of copper having 150 pins whose heads were sol- 
dered to one of its faces. This many pointed terminal 
could be placed directly in front of either of the large 
knobs of the machine, at a distance of 10 em., the other 
knob, or terminal, being grounded. 
