Mr. cavendish on the Torpedo. 21 1 
which would pafs through my body would be the 
■ , - part of the whole ; and in the latter the — — part. 
B + T-J-W- 1 - B -f- T -*■ 
Suppofe now, that the latter torpedo conducts n times 
better than the former; and confequently, that in re- 
ceiving its fhock under water, the quantity of electricity 
which paffes through the torpedo, through my body, 
and through the water, are to each other as nt, b, and w ; 
the quantity of electricity which will now pafs through 
my body, when the fhock is received under water, and 
out of water, will be to each other as p—” — to ; 
which two quantities differ from each other in a lefs pro- 
B B 
portion than — T — and j-pp: confequently, the readier 
the body of the torpedo conducts, the greater charge will 
it require to give the fame fhock, either in water or out of 
it; but the lefs will be the difference between the flrength 
of the two fhocks. It fhould be obferved, that this alte- 
ration, fo far from making it lefs refembling the real 
torpedo, in all probability makes it more fo ; for I fee no 
reafon to think, that the real torpedo is a worfc conductor 
of electricity than other animal bodies ; and the human 
body is at leafl as good, if not a much better conductor 
than this new torpedo. 
The event anfwered my expectation; for it required 
about three times as great a charge of the battery, to 
give the fame fhock in air, with this new torpedo as with 
the former; and the difference between its flrength when 
E e 2 received 
