'Toy i Dr. ingenhousz’s Experiments 
and that it could not be under flood but by eftablifhing 
new principles. - 
After confidering the matter maturely I thought, that 
thefe phenomena, though at firft fight extraordinary, 
could be explained by the fame principles which were 
already received by almoft every philofopher. 
But before I proceed to my intended explanation of 
the • molt obvious phenomena of the eleCtrophorus, I 
muft beg leave to fet down fome conftant laws, which 
nature obferves in the various motions of the electric 
fluid, and to which electricians do not feem to give a fuf- 
ficient attention. 
i. The eleCtric fluid exifts in all fubftances, in a cer- 
tain quantity, which is natural to them. 
i. The electric fluid is repulfive of itfelf, that is to 
fay, each particle of eleCtric fluid tends to recede as far 
from another particle of the fame fluid as it can. 
3. The ftate of eleClricity of a body is that in which 
it has acquired more eleCtrical fluid than the neighbour- 
ing bodies, or in which it has lefs of this fluid than the 
lurrounding bodies. 
4. In the firft cafe the eleCtrical fluid tends to expand 
itfelf through all bodies near it, which can by their na- 
: ture receive it. In the fecond cafe, the eleCtrical fluid of 
all the furrounding bodies finding lefs refiftance towards 
a body 
