Chemical Theory of Electricity and Magnetism. 77 



cessity of a liquid form for the purpose of combination appears in the 

 lighting of gunpowder, as well as in all other combustion, the spark 

 of fire applied dissolves the sulphur, and liquifies the combined heat; 

 and by these means a fluidity succeeds, and the consequent attractions 

 and repulsions, which form the explosion. 



The whole mixed mass of matter, of which the earth is composed, 

 we suppose to be surrounded and penetrated by the two ethers, but 

 with a greater proportion of the masculine ether than of the feminine. 

 When a stone is elevated above the surface of the earth, we suppose it 

 also to be surrounded with an atmosphere of the two ethers, but with a 

 greater proportion of the feminine than of the masculine, and that these 

 ethers adhere strongly by cohesion both to the earth and to the stone 

 elevated above it. Now the greater quantity of the masculine ether 

 of the earth becomes in contact with the greater quantity of the femi- 

 nine ether of the stone above it; which it powerfully attracts, and at 

 the same time repels the less quantity of the masculine ether of the 

 stone. The reciprocal attractions of these two fluids, if not restrained 

 by counter attractions, bring them together as in chemical com- 

 bination, and thus they bring together the solid bodies, which they 

 reciprocally adhere to; if they be not immovable; which solid bodies, 

 when brought into contact, cohere by their own reciprocal attractions, 

 and hence the mysterious affair of distant attraction or gravitation 

 becomes intelligible, and consonant to the chemical combinations of 

 fluids. 



To further elucidate these various attractions, if the patient reader 

 be not already tired, he will please to attend to the following experi- 

 ment: let a bit of sponge suspended on a silk line be moistened with a 

 solution of pure alcali, and another similar piece of sponge be moistened 

 with a weak acid, and suspended near the former; electrize one of 

 them with vitreous ether, and the other with resinous ether; as they 

 hang with a thin plate of glass between them : now as these two electric 

 ethers appear to attract each other without intermixing; as neither of 

 them can pass through glass; they must be themselves surrounded with 

 secondary ethers, which pass through the glass, and attract each other, 

 as they become in contact; as these secondary ethers adhere to the 

 primary vitreous and resinous ethers, these primary ones are drawn 



