ggj ON ELECTRICAL CHARGES AND DISCHARGESi 



first interposed between them, and which becomes nought 

 by their contact. 

 The two elec- There is nothing here at which we need be surprised, ex- 

 stroyed by the cept, that the two electricities are not destroyed by the con- 

 eontact. . ^^ct, where nothing appears to prevent their mutual attrac- 

 tion from exerting itself. But we may suppose, that this 

 attraction is sufficiently satisfied by the mere contact, that 

 this contact serves instead of actual communication, and 

 that it neutralizes the two electricities, as communication 

 itself would do : for it is sufficiently proved, that this does 

 not take place, and that the two electricities still belong to 

 the two faces separately, since they immediately manifest 

 themselves when the two surfaces are again separated so that 

 a fresh stratum of air is introduced between them. The 

 resistance we experience in this act of separation is like- 

 wise an effect of the two subsisting electricities, the mutual 

 attraction of which necessarily opposes a separation of the 

 surfaces, which carries with it that of the electricities. 

 Why the phe- j^. -g ^^^^ ^^ perceive however why we cannot observe these 

 nomenarannot , , , ^- i v r ^i 



uke place be- phenomena between two conducting bodies; tor as the con- 

 tweentwocon- ^-g^j^ ^f jJ^q ^^q surfaces can never take place accurately and 

 and instantaneously at every point, the first point of contact 

 between two bodies of this kind is sufficient to destroy the 

 whole electricity of the two surfaces, which still retains its 

 intensity, and is not yet neutralized by contact. The same 

 thing would take place on the separation of these bodies, 

 even if we supposed them possessing this electricity, though 

 imperceptible, in the state of contact. The retention and 

 apparent reproduction of the electricities therefore cannot 

 take place, unless one of the two bodies at least is an insu- 

 lator. 

 As the electri- Before I proceed farther I shall observe, that the total 

 city was sut)- j^gg ^f intensity, which the electricities experience in the 

 posed to be de- . '■ i i i • • i i i 



stroyed, noii' contact in question, has led some to imagine, that the elec- 



conductors tricities really destroyed each other by communication : par- 

 te reproduce it ticularly as they could not conceive what should prevent this 

 •a seitaration. communication from taking place : and in consequence they 

 were obliged to suppose, that insulating bodies had the sin- 

 gular property of resuming on separation the electricity they 

 had deposited on coining into contact ; that they redaimed 



it 



