[ 208 ] 
to lofe the impetus which it difcovers in a fhort 
one. 
In all thefe cafes, the ele&ric charge feems to re- 
main for a moment in the parts of the interrupted 
circuit j and therefore inftantaneoully rufhes, in all 
directions, as well towards bodies that are not 
placed along its pafiage to the jar, as thofe that are ; 
but, when the fame charge occupies a larger circuit, 
it has more room to expand itfelf, and is not fo 
ftrongly impelled to defert it. I found, however, by 
repeated trials, that when I made ufe of three yards 
of brafs chain in the circuit, there was a diftance to 
which the lateral explolion would not reach. The 
fame diftance it alfo would not reach, when the 
circuit confifted of only one brafs rod ; but it reached 
it with great eafe, when only half a yard of chain 
was ufed, even without any other interruption in 
the circuit. But it reached to a much greater diftance, 
when the chain was very fhort, and the interruption 
was greater in other refpedts. 
I had imagined, that, fince the body which had re- 
ceived the lateral explolion contained, for a moment, 
more than its natural quantity j that, if it were acutely 
pointed, fome would efcape, and that, upon the 
return of the explolion, the body would be exhaufted j 
but I found no fuch eftedt, though I affixed fine 
needles to the bodies I made ufe of. The lighted: 
pith balls, placed near the extremities of thefe 
needles, were not in the leaft affedted by the ex- 
When I placed a number of brafs balls, one be- 
hind another, the lateral explolion palled through 
them all, being viffble in the intervals between each 
of 
