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44 electrometer. In this manner, I exhaufted the 
44 battery, without any fenfible diminution, or de- 
44 ftruftion, of the gold leaf. Whereas a greater 
44 quantity of leaf gold may be difiipated, by a 
44 ftroke from a tingle fmall jar, if put under one 
44 of the knobs of the difcharging rod, and the 
44 ftroke be invited by the other ; for in fuch cafe, 
44 the leaf gold cannot, in any manner, aft like a 
44 point. 
44 Now as bodies act at a greater diftance, by 
44 how much they are more acute, and thereby 
44 diminilh any known eleftrical force ; and, as in 
44 any particular cafe, the fmallnefs of the pencil, 
44 or ftroke, depends on the acutenefs of the point 
44 prefented, I cannot avoid giving my fuffrage 
44 for points, in preference to obtufe bodies. 
It may not, I think, be improper to introduce, 
in this place, an experiment lately made by Mr. 
edward nairne, in Comhill ; which, though it 
doth not immediately relate to the particular 
fubjeft of this paper, is a very proper one to de- 
monftrate the utility of metallic conductors in 
general. 
MR. NAIRNE’S EXPERIMENT. 
He affixes, in a little apparatus refembling 
the hulk of a fhip, a glafs tube, about eight 
inches long, and half an inch in diameter, which 
is to reprefent the main-maft. The ends of the 
tube, which is filled with water, are properly fe- 
cured by corks ; and, through each cork, a wire 
is introduced, of fuch a length as to reach nearly 
Vol. LXIV. U to 
