not two electric fluids. 329 



and their particles would be diffused through space by op- 

 posite movements, if the surrounding air did not retain 

 them near each body. Hence they can only glide on the 

 surface of the body, so ? for instance, that the fluid of the 

 body A, being crowded toward the posterior part of this 

 body, of, will exert its effort on the air itself, that is ad- 

 jacent to this part. Thus the equilibrium between this air 

 and that contiguous to the anterior part, c, being broken, 

 the latter will act by its elasticity on the body A, to impel 

 it in the direction c h. The same reasoning applies in the 

 opposite direction to the bodyB; whence we conclude, 

 that the fluids and the bodies, or balls, impelled by a com- 

 mon movement, must recede from each other. We should 

 have a similar result, supposing the two bodies to be elec- 

 trified resinously. 



u Mutual attraction of two bodies, the electricities of 

 which are heterogeneous. 



" § 559. Let us imagine, that, one of the two bodies, Instance in 

 A for instance, being solicited by the vitreous electricity, attractl0n « 

 the electricity of the other, B, is resinous. The fluids 

 then will attract each other; so that, with respect to the 

 body A, which we shall. continue to fake as the object of 

 comparison, the crowding will take place toward the ante- 

 rior part of the body, c The fluid accumulated in this 

 place then will act repellently on the neighbouring air: 

 whence it follows, that the air contiguous to the posterior 

 part, d, will impel the body in the direction d n. The 

 same effect will take place in an opposite direction with re- 

 spect to the body B, and thus the fluids and the bodies will 

 be carried toward each other." 



What has been said is copied literally, that the author's 

 opinion might not be misrepresented. 



This explanation of electric attractions and repulsions Proof that this 

 by the action of two fluids does not appear to me satisfac- erroneous : 

 tory. I conceive it may be refuted by a single experiment. 

 The two experiments related by the author, § § 558 and 

 559, succeed as well in the vacuum of an airpump, as in 

 the open air: consequently neither the attraction nor the 

 repulsion of the two little balls is produced by the action 

 of the atmospheric air. 



la 



