A Letter /<? & Royal Society. 
Gentlemen, 
ne&d oaob. N Tome Papers I lately did myfelf the 
JL Honour to lay before you, I acquainted 
you of fome Experiments in Electricity 5 particularly 
I took notice of having been able to fire Spirit of 
Wine by what I called the repulftve Power thereof j 
which I have not heard had been thought of by any 
of thofe German Gentlemen, to whom the World 
is obliged for many furprifing Difcoveries in this 
Part of Natural Phiiofophy. 
How far, ftri&ly fpeaking, the Spirit, in this Ope- 
ration, may be faid to be fired by the repulftve 
Power of Eledricity, or how far that Power, which 
repels light Subftances when fully impregnated with 
Eledricity, fires the Spirit, may probably be the 
Subjed of a future Inquiry ; bur, as I am unwilling 
to introduce more Terms into any Demonftration 
than what are abfolutely neceffary for the more 
ready Conception thereof, and as inflammable Sub- 
flances may be fired by Eledricity two different 
Ways, let the following Definitions at prefent fuffice 
of each of thefe Methods. 
But firft give me Leave to premifo,that no inflam- 
mable Subftances will take Fire, when brought into 
or near the Contact of Electrics per fe excited to 
Electricity. This Effect muft be produced by non- 
electrical Subftances impregnated with Electricity re- 
ceived from the exciting Electrics per fe. But to 
return : 
ift, 
