128 Rutherford: Modern 



circulating. Hence have arisen some new terms among 

 us; we say B (and bodies like circumstanced) is elec- 

 tricized positively; A negatively. Or rather B is elec- 

 trized plus; A minus. And we daily in our experiments 

 electrize bodies plus or minus, as we think proper. To 

 electrize plus or minus, no more needs to be known than 

 this, that the parts of the tube or sphere that are rubbed 

 do, in the instant of the friction, attract the electrical 

 fire, and therefore take it from the thing rubbing; the 

 same parts immediately, as the friction upon them ceases, 

 are disposed to give the fire they have received to any 

 body that has less. Thus you may circulate it as Mr. 

 Watson has shown; you may also accumulate or subtract 

 it upon or from any body, as you connect that body with 

 the rubber, or with the receiver, the communication with 

 the common stock being cut off." 



In this letter we have the first use of the terms positive 

 and negative electricity, which now sound so familiar 

 to our ears. 



In his next letter, he still further elaborates his views 

 and gives an explanation of the action of the Leyden jar 

 or bottle as an accumulator of electricity. In this we 

 have a remarkably clear statement of his views of the 

 connection between positive and negative electricity. 



"At the same time that the wire and the top of the 

 bottle is electrized positively or plus, the bottom of the 

 bottle is electrized negatively or minus, in exact propor- 



