noife, like that which happen'd upon applying the re- 
fm to the conductor. 
I imagine, that this noife proceeds from the violent 
efforts made by the electrical fluid, in order to pene- 
trate into the wire. Since that fluid has only a deter- 
mined fpace to occupy in it, it is natural to think, 
that when that fpace is fill'd, the fluid ought to pro- 
duce a noife like that, which is heard, when the bot- 
tle in the Leyden experiment is greatly charged. 
When I applied the end of the wire to the filver d 
furface of the glafs, whilfl the other end touched the 
conductor, the quickfilver affected me fo fh ongly , 
that, notwithftanding my being fo much accuftomed 
to fuffer thefe electrical fhocks, I was not able to 
bC From hence 1 conclude, that the belt method of 
increafing the electrical power is to make it fall upon 
fome metalline furface, intimately connected with a 
furface, that is an electric per fe. And m order to 
brine reafon and experience together, this is the man- 
ner,^ which I think the power augmented : 
When the electrical fluid is pufhed with rapidity 
along the conductor (as it happens during a thunder- 
lform) it ought to be inftantly diffufed over the fur - 
face of the quickfilver. This fluid communicating 
with the glafs more eafily than with the air (which 
we fhall prove by-and-by), it ought partly to enter in- 
to the fubftance of the glafs: for the difficulty, which 
it finds in paffing through its pores, gives it time to 
accumulate, and confequently to fiiock bodies ap- 
plied to it with the greater power. But this method, 
which feems fo convenient to increafe the force of 
