DICKENSON — ELECTRICITY. 
269 
and when so formed how to make use of it. We must fully 
understand that Electricity in one form or another is now and 
always has been part of nature, as one of its great forces, and is 
no new invention as some people erroneously suppose. We are 
apt to forget that thunder and lightning were the fear of the 
savage thousands of years ago. To forget that Pliny described 
the peculiar Electrical properties of Amber, as being known 
long before the Christian Era, and that when rubbed off having 
the power of attracting certain objects to it. 
We must not forget that the Chinese were acquainted with 
the directive properties of the magnet as early as Anno Domini 
121 , when they used it on their journeys by land, and that 
gradually from these early times our knowledge of the subject 
has been getting greater and greater, through the work of 
experimenters of several countries, until we come to Queen 
Elizabeth’s time when the great Dr. Gilbert made a series of 
fresh discoveries, which gave him the title of the founder of the 
science. The brilliant experiments of Faraday, however, in 
the autumn of 1831 when he discovered what is known as induc- 
tion, form the real commencement of the rapid rise and develop- 
ment of this science, but it was not till 25 years ago, when the 
knowledge of the few became that of the many, that its impor- 
tance came to the front so rapidly, and its usefulness was so 
clearly demonstrated. I cannot pass here without trying to 
give you some idea of Faraday’s discovery, for on it is based the 
principles which underlie the design of all our present electrical 
machinery. 
* * * * 
So you see that a length of wire and a piece of steel can, 
under certain conditions, immediately produce electricity. If 
there is anything useful or interesting appening m 
outside world you may be quite sure that it will not be long 
before it is known indie home. When ^ 
heard how Electricity could help her it was not long before ^she 
sought to know more about it, and the > r esu ^ j J t ablished 
which at first was more used out ot dooi became nr j 
in the home, where it is daily proving more anc heads 
The domestic uses of Electricity maybe classed unde. 3 heads 
1st. Its use as Light. 
2nd. Tts use as Power. 
3rd. Its use as Heat. 
