1038 Dr. ingenhousz’s Experiments 
electrical fluid of a prime conductor has in the fame 
manner rent the plate of air (which obftruCted to a cer- 
tain degree its free paffage between the prime conductor 
and the neighbouring body) by giving it a fpark, the 
fame fpark may be repeated at pleafure, becaufe the 
opening formed by the fpark through the plate of air is 
immediately fhut up again according to the nature of all 
fluids. 
If an infulated conducting body be fituated in the 
manner defcribed, fo as to poflefs at its different extremi- 
ties a contrary electricity, it may impart to any other body 
brought in contaCt with it, or within its ftriking diftance, 
a fhare of that electricity which it has acquired at its far- 
thermoft extremity. The former body,fo touched, has ef- 
fectually loft that part of electrical fluid which was i 1 a 
certain manner crouded upon that extremity ; and there- 
fore being taken out of the fphere of aCtion of the ex- 
cited body, as, for inftance, a prime conductor, after 
having thus loft a part of the eleCtric fluid crouded upon 
its extremity, is found to poflefs a negative electricity if 
the excited body had a pofitive, and a pofitive if the ex- 
cited body had a negative one. 
Thus we fee how far we muft believe what is commonly 
affirmed as a faCt, that a body, plunged in the atmofphere 
of an electrified body, acquires a ftate of electricity con? 
trary to that of the electrified body. If the body plunged 
m 
