Ex Libris 
 C. K. OGDEN
 
 SRlf- 
 
 URL 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 READER. 
 
 AS no fmaJl Part of my Time and Thoughts 
 have, for fix or feven Years pafl, been em- 
 ploy'd in electrical Experiments, and particularly 
 iuch Experiments as were found to have falutary 
 Effects on the animal CEconomy, when apply'd to 
 Diforders, incident to the human Body ; fo, I am 
 fully fatisfy'dj the more they are enquir'd into, 
 the more wonderful they will appear : And, obferv- 
 ing a Series of fuch falutary Effects, I was deter- 
 min'd to publim fomething of this Kindj in Hopes 
 to excite others, of greater Abilities and more Lei- 
 fure, to purfue the fame laudable Practicej being 
 thoroughly convinc'd Mankind would find their 
 Account in fo doing. 
 
 But, before I fet about it, I confider'd, that, to 
 fhew I proceeded on rational Principles, fomething 
 ought alfo to be faid concerning the Nature and 
 Qualities, in general, of the fubtil Agent, which 
 was the Caufe of fuch falutary Effe&s j and not 
 only fo, but alfo endeavour, in a rational Way, to 
 explain the Manner of its Acting, thatfo it might 
 appear agreeable to Reafon to expect the great 
 Things from it, which 1 was going to relate : This 
 muft be the firft and chief Apology for the follow- 
 ing EJfay. And the 
 
 Second^ Becaufe I had obferv'd, that not a few* 
 even of the judicious Part of Mankind, feem'd 
 thoroughly perfuaded, that the electrical Pheno- 
 menon was of fo abftrufe a Nature, as to be fcarce 
 explicable on any rational Principles whatfoever, 
 A 2 
 
 109J
 
 ro the R E A D E R. 
 
 Time pail, have been fettled, as undeniable, by 
 the greateft Philofophers. Whereas, 
 
 If I were allow'd to fpeak my Mind freely, it is 
 my humble Opinion, that, were thofe great Phi- 
 lofophers ftill living, to fee the wonderful Experi- 
 ments which are made in Electricity, they would 
 not be fo tenacious of their former Opinions, as to 
 think there was not fufficient Reafon, now, for al- 
 tering many of their Sentiments, how differently 
 foever their prefent Difciples or Devotees may think 
 or act. 
 
 Thofe great Philofophers, notwithftanding their 
 former fettled and undeniable Principles, would, 
 no doubt, after fo grand a Difcovery, have fet to 
 work, and new-modell'd'many of their philofophi- 
 cal Plans, or erected new ones, in order to have pe- 
 netrated ftill deeper into the RecefTes of the Works 
 of Nature, and, if poffible, to have really account- 
 ed for fome Things, which, before fuch Difcove- 
 ry, were judg'd inexplicable. 
 
 I have made Ufe of the Terms, Fire, Elettricity y 
 elettrical Fire, electrical sEther, <etherial Spirit, &c. 
 as fynonymous. 
 
 Sometimes, when fpeaking of the Conveying or 
 Leading- wire of the Condenfing-phial, I have 
 calFd it by that Name , fometimes, the hooked 
 Wire of the Condenfing-phial ; at other Times, 
 the Wire piercing the Cork of the Condenfing- 
 phial, juft as they occur'd when I was writing ; my 
 chief Aim being, not fo much a Compleatnefs of 
 the Diction, as the Delivering myfelf in an intelli- 
 gible Manner. 
 
 t t N T R O
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 On the federal Gradations of the Prcgrefs of 
 ELECTRICITY. 
 
 TH E Term Eleftridty explains itfelf, be- 
 ing deriv'd from Eleftron, which is the 
 Greek Name for Amber, and the Thing 
 is of great Antiquity. 
 
 The Ancients, fo long ago as the Days of Py- 
 thagoras, according to ibme, and very probably- 
 long before, were not unacquainted with that Pro- 
 perty in Amber, of attracting light Bodies when 
 lying in the Sunfhine, but more particularly after 
 rubbing it ; perhaps from rubbing an Amber 
 Bead, or the like -, for which Reaibn all other 
 Things, that were afterwards found to be en- 
 du'd with the like Qualities of Attraction, &c. 
 were call'd Electrics, and all others, Non- electrics. 
 
 The Reafon why Electricity made fuch flow Ad- 
 vances, in the eAperi mental Way, for fo many 
 hundred Years, was, from their not knowing that 
 it efcap'd thro' almoft all Bodies into the Earth ; and 
 more particularly from their not knowing that all 
 fuch Bodies, which are now cail'd Elect ricsperfe, 
 were the only Bodies which could prevent fuch 
 Efcape. 
 
 Of Bodies which are endu'd with this Quality, 
 Glafs is found to be one of the greateft of all, even 
 much to exceed Amber itfelf ; and, when this was 
 difcover'd, it might very well be look'd on as no 
 fmall Improvement ; for,when this Power was ob- 
 B ierv'd
 
 2 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ferv'd to be fo increas'd, they not only found that 
 it had a Property of Repelling, equal to that of 
 Attracting, but alfo that it was real Fire. 
 
 A dill greater Improvement was, the actual 
 Difcovery that Glafs, Amber, Refin, Wax, Silk, 
 Hair, and all other electric Bodies, did not convey 
 this electric Matter to other Bodies, nor fuffer it to 
 make its Efcape thro' them j for foon after this, it 
 was difcover'd, that by fupporting a non-electri- 
 cal Body with Electrics, the electrical Fire could 
 be convey'd inftantaneoufly to any Diflance upon 
 any Peifon, or other non-electric Body thus fup- 
 ported, fo that any Part of them mould act as 
 powerfully as the Gun- barrel or Tube itielf. 
 
 Thefe important Difcoveries were firft made by 
 Mr. Stephen Cray, one of the Penfioners belonging 
 to the Chart er-houfe \ who ipent moft of his Time 
 in making electrical Experiments, and who may 
 juftly be allow'd, from the great Variety of thofe 
 made by him, to be the principal < erion who fet 
 on foot all the late Difcoveries and Improvements : 
 Many of his Experiments were communicated to 
 the Royal Society, and were look'd on as fuch ex- 
 traordinary Performances, as to merit a Place in 
 the Philolbphical Tranfactions. 
 
 It is to his Experiments we are indebted for 
 fuch clear Hints concerning its Nature and Pro- 
 perties, as to excite numbers of the Curious to 
 purfue the fame Clue, and which conducted to fuch 
 leading Experiments, particularly of its almoft 
 inftantaneous Motion to the moil diflant Parts ; 
 he himfelf having prov'd it to be fenfibly inftan- 
 taneous, to the Diftance of 800 Feet. 
 
 It was he who difcover'd it to make, if poflible, 
 its Efcape into the Earth ; to prevent which (he 
 having before difcover'd, that what are call'd E- 
 lectrics per fe, would prevent fuch Efcape) and to 
 caufe it to remain on any particular Perfon, his 
 
 Method
 
 INTRODUCTION. 3 
 
 Method was to fufpend him horizontally on two 
 hair Lines -, then rubbing his glafs Tube, and 
 holding it near his Feet, his Face or Hands were 
 inftantly capable of attracting and repelling light 
 Bodies. 
 
 He alfo afterwards difcover'd, that, if a Perfon 
 flood on a Cake of Refm, Glafs, or any other 
 electrical Subftance, it was equally the fame as 
 fupporting him with hair or filk Lines. 
 
 A greater Improvement, yet,was the introducing 
 of the glafs Globe, Cylinder, and Spheroid, whirl- 
 ing on their Axis, inftead of rubbing the glafs 
 Tube ; for by that Means they obferv'd the 
 Power increas'd to a very high Degree. 
 
 Thus having brought it to fuch Perfection, a 
 great Number of various Experiments were every 
 where made -, particularly after it was difcover'd 
 fo plainly to be Fire, as to kindle up many parti- 
 cular Bodies into an actual Flame. 
 
 But the greateft Improvement of all, and what 
 conducted to the finiming Stroke, was the acciden- 
 tal and furprifing Shock, difcover'd to ProfefTor 
 M. de Mufchenbroek of Leydcn : An Account of 
 which was communicated in a Letter from Paris^ 
 and was as follows : 
 
 " Mar. 25th, 1746. M. de Mufcbenbroek, a fa- 
 " mous Profeffbr of experimental Phyfics at Ley- 
 *' den, has wrote a Letter to M. de Reaumur , of 
 " the Royal Academy of Sciences, containing an 
 46 Account of a very fingular Experiment, which 
 " has led him to feveral Difcoveries concerning 
 " Electricity." 
 
 The Experiment. 
 
 ' T A VI N G fufpended an iron Cannon hori- 
 
 " JLjl zontally, upon filken Cords, with one 
 
 44 End near the electrical Globe, hefaftened to the 
 
 " other End a latten Wire, which defcended into 
 
 B 2 " a Bot-
 
 4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " a Bottle half full of Water , that holding up the 
 " Bottle with one Hand, while the Cannon was 
 " electrifing, hs put forth a Finger of his other 
 " Hand towards the Piece, in order, as ufual, to 
 " draw off a Spark, but was ftruck fuch a violent 
 " Blow, that he thought his Life was at an End ; 
 44 and adds, that, efteeming himfelf very happy in 
 " escaping, he had no Mind to repeat the Experi- 
 " ment, and that the Commotion he felt was like 
 " a Clap of Thunder. 
 
 " As this Letter came at a Time when many 
 " learned Men were employ'd about Electricity ; 
 *' the Abbe Ncllet and M. de Mcnniers, of the 
 " fame Academy, zealous to fearch into fo extra- 
 " ordinary a Phenomenon, diverted themfelves of 
 " Fear, made the fame Experiment as M. de 
 " Mufcbenbroek had done, and, in like Manner, 
 " found the Commotion very terrible." London 
 Evening Pcft^ April the J/?, 1 746. 
 
 This fudden and wonderful Difcovery amazed 
 the whole European World for fome Time ; for, 
 before this, very little, if any Power or Force was 
 perceiv*d in it, or even fufpected j fo that now it 
 appear'd fo much to exceed the Power of what was 
 found in it before, as to bear fcarcely any Manner 
 of Proportion ; for inflead of being ftrong enough 
 to be fektopufh againft the Finger (which, before 
 this, was counted a great Matter) it was then iound 
 much more capable of moving a Mountain, and, 
 from the great Number of Experiments which were 
 foon made in all Places, the Progrefs of its clearer 
 and clearer Difcovery was, from that Time, ex- 
 ceedingly rapid. 
 
 But, notwithftanding all this wonderful Pover 
 was difcover'd in it, many were ftill inclm'd u > 
 count for its Production in the old Vva), and antr 
 the fame Manner as when it appear'd in its feeoie 
 State, believing it to be emitted by the electrical 
 
 Globe :
 
 INTRODUCTION. 5 
 
 Globe : And though fome of the more Judicious 
 gave it, as their Opinion, to be no other than the 
 ^therofthe modern Philosophers, and others, the 
 elementary Fire of the Ancients ; thefe were fe- 
 verely lam'd for it ; fo greatly are Prejudice, and 
 confirm'd Habits, obferv'd to prevail, even with 
 the moft ingenious Part of Mankind. 
 
 A Defer iption of the Conden/ing-pbial. 
 
 THIS Phial, being of the greateft Importance 
 in making electrical Experiments, worthily 
 merits a particular Explanation. Without this, or a 
 like Contrivance, fcarce any other Way could have 
 been invented or thought of, capable of entrapping, 
 arrefting, and imprifoning this mighty Agent, long 
 enough to make the Experiments. 
 
 If this had not been wonderfully reveal'd to us, 
 we had ftill been ignorant of any great Strength, 
 Power, or Force, in electrical Fire. 
 
 The Way and Manner this great Secret was re- 
 veal'd to M. de Mufchenbroek, was, as before-men- 
 tion'd, by Means of a Phial partly fill'd with Wa- 
 ter , for which Reafon all were at firft prepar'd in 
 that Manner : Viz. A Phial, nearly fill'd with Wa- 
 ter, was fufpended to the Gun-barrel by a hooked 
 Wire, leading through the Cork to the Water, 
 whereby this invifible Fire was convey'dto it ; this 
 Principle, prevailing in the Non -electrical denfe 
 Water, immediately conveys it to the Glafs, in 
 which the contain'd ^Ether remains fo fix'd, as is 
 not eafily remov'd ; and with which this electrical 
 j^Ether appears to be moft intimately connected : 
 This is imagin'd to be the Reafon it is fo ftrongly 
 attach'd to the Glafs, as oftentimes not to return 
 by the Way it came for a long Time afterwards. 
 I once heard an Operator in Electricity affirm he 
 had fent one of thefe royal Prifoners, thus confin'd, 
 near a Mile, which afterwards burfl through, both 
 B 3 his
 
 6 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 his Prifon and Keeper, giving him a Blow on the 
 Elbows at Parting. 
 
 Mr. Rack/trow^ in Fleet-ftreet, kept this Fire in 
 a Phial, with Water, for ten Hours, and others, a 
 longer Time, but Mr. faonniers kept it fo for 
 thirty-fix Hours ; and every Operator in Electri- 
 city very well knows that this pure Fire may be 
 kept in clofe Connexion with Water for a long 
 Time, particularly if the Water be made and kept 
 warm. 
 
 The more denfethe Fluid contain'd in the Phial, 
 the more Power there appear'd of holding it toge- 
 ther i for, when it wasfurnim'd with Mercury, in- 
 ftead of Water, fo much was oftentimes detain'd as 
 to burft of its own Accord. 
 
 Afterwards, the common Method, in forming 
 thofe electrical Magazines, was to make Ufe of 
 brafs or iron Filings, inftead of Liquids, and coat 
 the Outfide of the Phial with a thin Plate of Lead ; 
 which was found to be ftill better. 
 
 But the moil commodious Way is to line the In- 
 fide of the Phial with Gold-leaf, &c. and to coat it 
 with Tinfoil, thin Lead, or the like, and to faften 
 fome Tinfel-fringe to the Bottom, or the End of 
 the Wire within the Phial, fo as to reach to the 
 gold Lining, by which Means the electrical Fire 
 is convey 'd to it. 
 
 It is not very material what Form the Glafs is 
 of; to prove which, and to mew the exceeding 
 great Power of this Fire, when more is collected, 
 By enlarging the Giafs, I mail mention what Mr. 
 Rackftrow fays, after he had been giving his Opi- 
 nion of the Way and Manner in which he conceiv'd 
 Lightning and Thunder to be generated : 
 
 " I mail now endeavour farther to fhew the Si- 
 61 milarity of Thunder and Lightning to Electri- 
 " city. The furprifing violent Shock that is to 
 " be given, even in a Degree greater than they can 
 
 " well
 
 INrRODUCriON. 7 
 
 " well bear, to any Number of Perfons at once, 
 " is fufh'cient to iatisfy us, that the Electricity, paf- 
 " fmg through a Tree in the fame Manner, muft 
 " fhock the Solids thereof, as it does the Animal 
 *' Body. If we could collect a great deal more E- 
 " lectricity, we might fpiit the Tree, as we burft 
 " the VerTels in Animals kill'd by Electricity j 
 " whofe Bodies look livid, as when killed by 
 " Lightning. 
 
 *' Mr. Watjon communicated the following Ex- 
 " periment to me, and Ihew'd me fuch a large 
 " Glafs as I am about to defer ibe ; but his was 
 " broke. He took the Hint from Dr. Bevis, who, 
 " for the fame Experiment, made Ufe of a fiat 
 " Glafs, gilt on both Sides, excepting a Margin 
 " round, no Matter what Form. This Glafs, 
 " that was fhewn me, was blown very thin, in the 
 " Shape of a Cylinder, like a Confectioner's, open 
 " at Top, and gilt both on the Infide and Outfide 
 " to within two Inches of the Top. I cover'd 
 " mine, which was about twenty Inches high, and 
 " ten Diameter, with gilt Leather, as high as it 
 " was gilt ; which preferv'd it from breaking, and 
 " made it act the ftronger. The Metal within fuch 
 cc a Glafs as I have defcrib'd, when electrified, will 
 " act with greater Vigour than 25,000 Times its 
 " own Weight of iron File-duft in Bottles electri- 
 " fied ; which proves that it is from the Number 
 " of the Points in Contact that it comes to act fo 
 " ftrongly, and not from the Quantity of the Me- 
 " tal. I let a Piece of Chain hang down from the 
 " Tube which I had electrified, to electrify the 
 " Metal within the Glafs , I made Ufe of another 
 " Piece of Chain, about ten Yards long ; one 
 " End of which I laid under the Bottom of the 
 " Glafs, and the other End I held to the Tube 
 " ele^rified, to caufe the Explofion, which was as 
 " loud as the Report of a Piftol, and the Flam of 
 B 4 " Light
 
 8 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " Light fo very bright, as to dazzle the Eyes of the 
 " Beholders , the whole Chain that led the electri- 
 " cal Explofion was not only illuminated, but 
 fc darted Fire in moft Directions ; the Report, 
 " though as loud as that of a Piftol, was not fo 
 " fhort, but more like that of Thunder. Thefirft 
 *' Time I tried this Experiment, I thought it had 
 *' broken the Glafs to Pieces. In Places where 
 * c the Chain communicated, I have in a proper 
 tc Manner, in one Place, put warm Spirits of 
 Wine, in another File-duft, Vitriol, and Water 
 mixed together, fome Oil of Turpentine in a 
 Third, and, in trying the above Experiment, all 
 thefe different Things would take Fire together; 
 which is a Proof, that Electricity is capable of 
 fetting Fire to all fulphureous Exhalations or Va- 
 pours in the Air ; and, thofe combuftible Clouds 
 taking Fire one after the other, their different 
 * c Explofions caufe the fucceffive Noife of Thun- 
 *' der." Mr. Rackftrow's E/ay, p. 65.
 
 A ihort Introductory 
 
 DIALOGUE 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 NATURE and PROPERTY 
 
 O F 
 
 Electrics and Non-Ele&rics. 
 
 HAT mufl we fuppofe to be the 
 Caufe of thofe remarkable Quali- 
 ties, fo different in different Bo- 
 dies, termed original Electrics, 
 and Non-electrics ; or, as they are 
 now term'd,Electrics^ry, and Non-electrics? And 
 what Kind of Bodies are the moll remarkably fo ? 
 
 A. The circumambient Atmofphere is obferv'd 
 to be one of the moft remarkable of all original 
 Electrics, and the Body of the Earth as remarka- 
 ble and powerful a Non-electric. But of thefe 
 farther on. 
 
 B. 1 mould be glad to be inform'd in what 
 Manner the electrical Fire is fuppos*d to be con- 
 ducted by thefe Non -electrics ? 
 
 A. Thefe
 
 io TLleffiricity render d ufeful. 
 
 A. Thefe Conducters, as they are called, are 
 fuch Bodies only, in whofe Pores, the original 
 ./Ether ftands fo loofe as well as rare, as to be 
 freely driven on by the firft Impulfe, and thus 
 makes Room for the Flux, of this newly collected 
 electrical ./Ether, which prefling, by accumulating 
 on it, drives it forward, and then polieffes its Place, 
 and may be reafonably fuppos'd to execute the 
 fame Office ; and, as this will conftantly and inva- 
 riably appear to be the Cafe, I mail make Ufe of 
 no more Words to explain it, till I come to the 
 Experiment which proves it. 
 
 B. What is thought to be the Caufe of that par- 
 ticular Quality in thofe Bodies, termed Electrics 
 perfe? 
 
 A. Electrics per fe are fuch Bodies, in which 
 the original ./Ether feems to be more fix'd, and, 
 confequently, cannot move freely on, to make 
 Room for the newly collected electrical ./Ether to 
 take Place, as in the former Cafe : The moft pro- 
 bable Conjecture for its Prevalency, and what 
 feems moft agreeable to Reafon and Obfervation, 
 is, from a particular inherent Texture of the Parts 
 of fuch Bodies, faturated, no doubt, with this 
 Principle, in the firft Formation , of which, among 
 Animals, the Torpedo or numbing Fim is account- 
 ed, by many, the moft remarkable, and the fenfi- 
 tive Plant among Vegetables. 
 
 But the moft compleat of any, of fuch Bodies, 
 feem to be thofe form'd of the minuteft Particles 
 or Effluvia of Bodies ; which minute Particles in- 
 corporate as it were, or adhere in fo remarkable 
 a Manner to the astherial Particles, that they are 
 not eafily difunited, but by the Action of the elec- 
 trical Machine -, or elfe otherwife greatly agita- 
 ted : A Quantity of thefe, when form'd into one 
 Mafs, are obferv'd, in the Experiments, to be the 
 moft remarkable. 
 
 Of
 
 Eleffricity render d useful. 1 1 
 
 Of this Sort is the common Air, which appears 
 to be fuch a Mixture of this ^Ether, and the earthy 
 Exhalations adhering and uniting fo firmly with 
 it, as to be perhaps the greateft Electric per fe of 
 any Thing in Nature ; for, though a fmall Part of 
 this Fire feems to be feparated from, and collected 
 out of the common Air, yet it mews the utmoft 
 Reluctance towards Returning into it again, and as 
 we mail foon find as great a Fropenfity to return 
 into -the Earth, after being conducted to the Gun- 
 barrel, or any other Non-electric, fupported with 
 original Electrics , fo that the Air, particularly a 
 dry Air, feems fo faturated with it as fcarce capa- 
 ble of receiving more. 
 
 B. What other Bodies are the moft remarkable 
 Eledrics ? 
 
 A. A 11 unctuous inflammable Bodies, in general, 
 appear to be faturated with this Fire, and alfo fix'd 
 as abovemention'd : And of inflammable Sub- 
 ftances thofe of the fragile Kind, and fuch as break 
 with a Polifh, feem to poflefs this Quality the moft ; 
 as Refm, Pitch, Sealing-wax, &c. Sulphur alfo, 
 and Bees-wax, though they do not break with fuch 
 a Polifh as the reft, yet are they very remarkable 
 Electrics, particularly the Former, 
 
 Alfo Glafs, Amber, and fome other hard brittle 
 Bodies, although not of an inflammable Quality, 
 are yet the moft noted in the whole Clafs of Elec- 
 trics , they are therefore in all Probability faturated 
 beyond other Bodies with this Fire, which remains 
 alio fix'd. 
 
 And, laftly, there is yet another Kind of Elec- 
 trics per fe, of a more foft Texture -, fuch as Silk, 
 and the Hair of many particular Animals ; alfo 
 many Infects, as Bees, Flies, Moths, &c. befides 
 many other animal Subftances, when dry. 
 
 Two chief Reafons why fuch foft Bodies as Silk, 
 the Hair of Cats, &c . are fuch remarkable Elec- 
 trics,
 
 1 2 Ekffricity render d ufeful. 
 
 tries, are mod probably ; firft, that they are fatu- 
 rated with tins Principle in their Formation, and 
 alfo fix'd as above -, fecondly, being of fo loofe a 
 Texture, their Pores or Interftices are fo large, as 
 to admit of the common Air, which is always ob- 
 ferv'd to be the greateit Impediment to the Motion 
 of the pure /.Lther j and this feems to be confirm'd, 
 by oblerving how, when their Pores are fill'd up, 
 by foaking them in Water, they are at once con- 
 verted into vigorous Non-electrics ; fo that here, 
 as the denfe Water, whofe Pores are fo fmall as not 
 to admit the coarfer /Ether, or Air, but the finer 
 .Either only, the Whole, to Appearance, is become 
 a ! \ on-electric ; but, as this can in no wife alter the 
 Nature of the Body itfelf, fo it can be no other than 
 a proper Vehicle which admits of the finer ./Ether 
 only, wherein the inconceivable Strength and Ener- 
 gy lies. 
 
 For the like Reafon, many Vegetables, which, 
 when green, and replete with Juices, appear to be 
 very powerful Non -electrics ; yet that Power, as 
 they become more dry, is found more and more 
 feeble, particularly thole which are of the moft light 
 and loofe Texture ; and in Cork very little, if any 
 of that Quality remains, though no doubt but that 
 too, like other Vegetables, when green and full of 
 Sap, was as great a Non-electric as the reft. It 
 appears then, that, if the JEther be fix'd in the 
 Body, it then muft conftitute an Electric , if not 
 fix'd, then a Non-electric. 
 
 B. But why do you not rather imagine that fuch 
 Bodies as Amber, Glafs, Refin, Sulphur, &c. be- 
 ing fo faturated with this electrical Fire, is the 
 Caufe of our Seeing it thrown out in fuch Plenty in 
 the fame Manner as has been imagin'd ? 
 
 A. Becaufe, were it fo, and if the Glafs could 
 
 eafily part with it, like a Non-electric Body, there 
 
 would be no electrical Fire produc'd from it, any 
 
 3 more
 
 Ekffrictty render d nfefuL 1 3 
 
 more than from a Globe of Metal ; it muft be 
 own'd, that was the common Way, at firft, of ac- 
 counting for its Production ; and that the electric 
 Matter^ inherent in the glafs Globe, was put into 
 fuch a vibrating Motion by the Attrition of the 
 Hand or Cufhion on the Outfide of it, while in 
 Motion, as to be thrown out thereby in fo copious 
 a Manner -, but this Way of accounting for its Pro- 
 duction, not agreeing with Experience, was there- 
 fore 'exploded : That the .ZEther is really fix'd in 
 them, beyond what it is in other Bodies, fo as not 
 to fuffer the newly collected ./Ether to move through 
 them fo freely as through Non-electrics, may be 
 prov'd by Numbers of Experiments, and if the 
 circulating Experiment, viz. Experiment the IVth, 
 be attempted, and the Circuit be divided in any 
 Part by the Interpofition of the lead Piece of Glafs, 
 it will not fucceed. 
 
 And though thefe Particles of ./Ether contain'd 
 in Glafs, Amber, &c. feem fo fix'd as not eafily 
 to be mov'd out ; yet does it appear capable of 
 being agitated and put in Motion, even by the 
 ignited ./Ether or folar Rays only, fo as to act at 
 fome Diftance from the electrical Body ; it being 
 obferv'd that a glafs Tube, having only been fo 
 long expos'd to the Sun, as to acquire a fmall De- 
 gree of Warmth, will attract light Bodies. 
 
 Note. What is here call'd Attraction is conceiv'd 
 by many to be perform'd rather by Preflure, thus : 
 
 When the Power or Force of the excited elec- 
 trical Body is extended to any Diftance from the 
 Body ; all Parts contain'd within that Diftance, 
 are by the Action of the TEther become more rare 
 than the. Parts furrounding it ; by which Means 
 the grofler Air, preffing to reftore the Balance, 
 drives thofe light Bodies towards it. 
 
 DIALOGUE
 
 14 Eleflricity render d ttfeful. 
 
 DIALOGUE II. 
 
 B. T T O W came it to be firft known, that fuch 
 j|~l a fubtil Medium actually exifted? 
 
 A. By its Effects only, before it was more clear- 
 ly prov'd by Means of Electricity. 
 
 . Can it feem credible that there mould be 
 no other Means of difcovering it, notwithftanding 
 it was defcrib'd with moil of its great and eflential 
 Qualities ? 
 
 A. However incredible it may feem, yet no- 
 thing is more fure , for no fuch Agent could ever 
 be demonftrated to the Senfes, till it was perform'd 
 by Means of electrical Experiments. 
 
 B. Who was the firft Difcoverer of the Exiftence 
 of fuch a fubtil Medium in Nature, and how long 
 fince the firft Difcovery ? 
 
 A. It is fomething uncertain who was the firft 
 Difcoverer, but we are aflur'd from Hiftory, that 
 it was known by the ancient Philofophers, fome 
 thoufand Years ago, who not only difcover'd the 
 moft effential Properties afcrib'd to yther by all 
 the greateft Philofophers ever fince, but they alfo 
 difcover'd it to be an invifible Fire ; all which 
 agrees with this electrical fubtil Medium. 
 
 They alfo pronounc'd it an Element, which is 
 now the Opinion of many Moderns likewife, par- 
 ticularly fince the late great Improvements in E- 
 lectricity. 
 
 The Ancients not only thought themfelves fure 
 of the Exiftence of fuch an univerfal fubtil Me- 
 dium, but they alfo afcrib'd to it the greateft 
 Power and Efficacy , for, according to thole Phi- 
 lofophers, it was the moft neceffary mechanical 
 Agent of all created Beings. 
 
 The jther of Des Cartes was his Materia ful- 
 tiliS) or his firft Element j by which he under- 
 
 ftood
 
 Electricity render d ufeful. 1 5 
 
 flood a " moft fubtil Matter very fwiftly agitated, 
 " fluid, and keeps to no certain Figure, but which 
 " fuits itielr to the Figure of thofe Bodies that are 
 " about it. 
 
 " His fecond Element confifts of fmall Glo- 
 * e bules , that is, Bodies exactly round and very 
 " folid, which do not only, like the firft Element, 
 " fill up the Pores of Bodies, but alfo conftitute 
 " the pureft Subftance of the ^Ether and Heaven." 
 Blome's Xranjlat. 0/Des Cartes'j P&/<?/ p. 101. 
 
 ^Et her, according to Sir Ifaac Newton, is a thin 
 fubtil Matter, much finer and rarer than Air. 
 
 Sometimes term'd a fubtil Spirit, as in the lat- 
 ter End of his Principia ; and fometimes a fubtil 
 astherial Medium, as in his Optics. 
 
 To fay the Truth, there were Abundance of 
 Confiderations, which feeni'd to evince the Exift- 
 ence of fome Matter in the Air, much finer than 
 the Air itfelf ; and an unknown ibmething always 
 remain'd behind, when the Air was taken away, 
 as appear'd from certain Effects which were pro- 
 duc'd in Vacuo. 
 
 This ^Ether was fuppos'd to be univerfally dif- 
 pers'd, fo as to fill up all the Parts of Space, even 
 all that Space, which is, by fome others, term'd 
 the immenfe Void , and not only fo, but all the 
 Interftices or minuteft Pores of the moft denfe 
 and compacted Bodies. 
 
 " The Exiftence of fuch an univerfal setherial 
 " Medium being fettled, Sir Ifaac Newton pro- 
 " ceeds to its Properties, inferring it to be not 
 " only rarer and more fluid than Air, but ex- 
 " ceedingly more elaftic and active : In Virtue 
 of which Properties he ihews that a great Part 
 of the Phenomena of Nature may be produc'd 
 by it, as Gravitation, &c. to its Elafticity he 
 attributes the elaftic Force of the Air, and of 
 nervous Fibres, and the Emiflion, Refraction, 
 3 " Reflexion,
 
 1 6 Electricity render d ufeful. 
 
 " Reflexion, and other Phenomena of Light $ 
 " as alfo Senfation, mufcular Motion, &c. In* 
 " Fine, this fame Matter feems the Primum Mo- 
 " bile* the firft Source or Spring of phyfical 
 " Action in the modern Syftem." Chambers'* 
 Dictionary. 
 
 At the End of the Principa, Sir Ifaac Newton 
 fpeaks of a mod fubtil Matter, which, he fays, 
 *' pervades, and lies hid in all grofs Bodies ; by 
 " the Force and Action of which Spirit, the Par- 
 " tides of Bodies mutually attract one another at 
 " fmall Diltances, and cohere when in Contact ; 
 " and electric Bodies operate at greater Diftances, 
 " as well by repelling as attracting the neighbour- 
 " ing Corpufcles ; and Light is emitted, reflected, 
 " refracted, inflected, and heats Bodies, and all 
 " Senfation is excited, and the Members of ani- 
 " mal Bodies move, at the Command of the Will, 
 " namely, by the Vibrations of this Spirit, mu- 
 " tually propagated along the folid Filaments of 
 <c the Nerves, from the outward Organs of Senfe 
 " to the Brain, and from the Brain into the Muf- 
 " cles : But, fays he, thefe are Things that can't 
 " be explain'd in few Words ; nor are we fur- 
 " nifh'd with that Sufficiency of Experiments, 
 " which is requir'd to an accurate Determination 
 " and Demonftration of the Laws, by which this 
 ' electric and elaftic Spirit operates." Thus ac- 
 counting for that otherwife unaccountable Pheno- 
 menon, animal Motion. 
 
 Qutery. Whether we may not moft reafonably 
 conclude, 
 
 The elementary Fire of the Ancients, 
 
 The Materia fubtilis of Des Carles, 
 
 The jJEther, or elaftic fubtil Medium of Sir 
 Ifaac Newton, and 
 
 The remarkable Phenomenon, electrical Fire
 
 Ek&ricity render d ufefuL If 
 
 juft; difcover'd *, to be one and the fame fubtil 
 Subftance : Particularly, as we can obferve fuch 
 a remarkable Agreement, Similarity, and Coinci- 
 dence among the feveral fuppos'd fubtil Mediums. 
 
 That it mould be reafonable to fuppofe electri - 
 cal Fire to be that very identical fubtil Subftance, 
 or Medium, can't well be doubted, fmce all the 
 moft elfential Properties which they afcrib'd to 
 their elementary Fire, ,/Ether, or expanfive fubtil 
 Fluid or Medium, are found in electrical .fluher, 
 and that alfo in the utmoft Degree of Perfection. 
 
 JS. How do you prove the electrical Matter 
 to be endu'd with thofe effential Properties ? 
 
 A. By the moit convincing Experiments : But 
 I (hall not dwell on a long Series of Experiments, 
 for if the invifible, expanfive, fubtil Medium, 
 which has been fo long fuppos'd, and fo clearly 
 explain'd by Sir Jfaac Netuton y is, or is not, that 
 very identical Subftance, which is now render'd 
 vifible, and realiz'd to the other Sepfes, and of 
 which we have fuch effectual Means put into our 
 Hands to examine it by, infomuch that we can't 
 eafily miftake its Nature and Properties ; a few 
 capital Experiments muft neceffarily be abundant- 
 ly furficient to determine it : For, if we can pro- 
 duce one fuch powerful, elaftic TEther, or fubtil 
 Medium in Nature, as he has defcrib'd, and en- 
 du'd with fuch other furprifing Properties as he 
 has afcrib'd to his ^Ether, it is prefum'd there can't 
 be left much Room for Doubt or Hefitation j be* 
 caufe none will expect to find, at the fame Time, 
 two fuch univerfal, expanfive, attracting, repelling, 
 inconceivably fwift, and powerful, fubtil, fluid 
 Mediums in Nature, form'd fo exactly alike, as 
 
 * The complete Difcovery of Electricity is fuppos'd to take 
 Date at the Difcovery of the Shock. 
 
 C that
 
 i 8 Ele&ricity render d ufeful. 
 
 that one can't be diftinguiih'd from the other. 
 Again, 
 
 None will expect to find unerring frugal Na- 
 ture grown all at once profufe, as it muft unde- 
 niably be, and that too in the molt fuperlative 
 Degree, if this could be prov'd ; and, every one 
 would allow, ought juftly to be chronicled, as the 
 firft Time it was ever known to be fo. 
 
 B. But how will the greateit Objection, brought 
 again ft thofe kind of Arguments to prove a lubtil 
 Medium, be remov'd - f namely, fuch as this : Can 
 it be thought probable, not to fay poflible, that 
 the moil ftupendious and moft powerful mecha- 
 nical Agent in Nature, as the fubtil Medium of 
 Philofophers is allow'd to be by the very greateft 
 of them, even capable of being the firft and only 
 inftrumental Cauie of the greateft Operations we 
 behold in- it -, -I fay, can it be fuppos'd reafonable, 
 that fo mighty an Agent mould be fo clearly dif- 
 cover'd, by fo fimple a Method as the electrical 
 Machine ? 
 
 A. But, fince we are capable of discovering fuch 
 a powerful fubtil Medium by that fimple Method, 
 what Reafon have we for -quarrelling with the Me- 
 thod ; for, as all Things are alike eafy to the great 
 Revealer of Secrets, ^have we Reafon to be out of 
 Humour, merely becaufe his Method of difcover- 
 ing it to us is eafy and plain ? 
 - Can fuch Objections be really juft ? Are they 
 not indeed moft ridiculous ? What can be faid for 
 Men, when we find them thus quarrelling with the 
 only Method that was ever found capable of difco- 
 vering any fuch powerful fubtil Medium ? For, 
 
 Was it ev^r clearly prov'd before ? Was not all 
 that was affirm'd by thofe Philofophers, concerning 
 it, mere Conjecture ? 
 
 Whera9,-~by Means of electrical Experiments, 
 
 we are as fure that fuch a Medium really exifts, as 
 
 4 we
 
 render d uftfui. i 9 
 
 we are of any one Thing of which the Senfes can 
 inform us nor can the Expofingfuch a Method of 
 Keafoning be derogatory or injurious to the il- 
 luftnous Characters of thole eminent Fhilofophers, 
 who, we are fure, were far from being miitaken, 
 in the Thing itfelf, by our rinding them ib con- 
 ftantly defcribing it, with all the great and efien- 
 tial Qualities which we actually behold in it, now 
 it is fo plainly difcover'd ; but the very greatefb 
 of them, even the great Sir Ijaac Newton himfeifj 
 never pretended to prove the Certainty of its 
 Existence otherwife than by its Effects. T 
 
 And, notwithftanding his ardent Defire to find 
 it out, and his many fagacious Experiments to 
 prove it, yet none could be thought of, or in- 
 vented, that were fufficient to make a clear Dif- 
 covery : One of thofe inquifitive Experiments we 
 find in his Optics, Qu^r. the i8th and, although 
 he infers very largely from the Premiffes, yet is he 
 far from giving his Opinion, whether it was an 
 invifible Fire, or not, but frankly owns he does 
 not know what it is, Quser. 1 1 . 
 
 How the ancient Sages were furnifh'd with Hints 
 fufficient to difcover it to be an invifible, pure 
 Fire, is not eafily to be conceiv'd, notwithftanding 
 they defcrib'd it fo very exactly* 
 
 B. How is the electrical Fire immediately pro- 
 duc'd ? 
 
 A. Out of the Earth and Air, but particularly 
 the former* 
 
 EXPERIMENT I. 
 
 lending to point out the Source ; or main Spring, 
 from whence it is deri'vd. 
 
 IF a Perfon, {landing on the Floor, lays his 
 Hand on the glafs Globe in Motion, the e- 
 lectrical Matter is produc'd in great Plenty, as we 
 C 2 End
 
 2O Electricity render d ufeful. 
 
 find by its Acting fo vigoroufly on the Gun-barrel, 
 or other Apparatus of Wires ; but if he fteps on 
 a Cake of Refin, &c. it is very much weaken'd, 
 and very little Fire or Attraction is to be found 
 on the lame, notwith (landing the Friction be con- 
 tinu'd at the glafs Globe * : To prove that this is 
 no Deception, let him put a Foot again to the 
 Floor, and they will that Inftant act vigoroufly as 
 before, and be again as inftantly depriv'd of that 
 Power at Lifting it up again, and vice verfa. 
 
 B. But if this fubtil Agent can be fo plainly 
 prov'd to be produc'd from the Earth, it would 
 be but natural to find in it as perpetual a Ten- 
 dency to efcape into it again , which if you can 
 alfo prove, it will be a farther Confirmation of 
 your Afiertion and Experiment. 
 
 A. Nothing can be much eafier prov'd ; for 
 which Reafon, and to mew likewife, that a few 
 capital Experiments will, as above, be fufficient 
 for my Purpofe, I fhall produce a fmgle one, 
 which alone proves the electric Matter to be en- 
 du'd with a mod furprifmg Subtilty and an in- 
 conceivable Velocity ; and which alfo proves or 
 greatly illuftrates the Doctrine of Sir Jfaac Newto^ 
 'viz. that this fubtil Medium is contain'd in all 
 denfe Bodies : Alfo, that in denfe non- electrical 
 Bodies it will, upon the firfl Impulfe of the electri- 
 cal Matter, rum out and give Place to it, to oc- 
 cupy the fame .Space, and may be realbnably pre- 
 fum'd to execute the fame Office. 
 
 Alfo, that the Air, particularly a dry Air, ap- 
 pears to be one of the greateft of Electrics per fe, 
 and the Body of the Earth, the moft complete 
 Non-electric. 
 
 - * The fmall remaining Part on the Apparatus is fappofed to 
 be fupplied by the Air. 
 
 ' Ex-
 
 Ekflricity render d ufcful. 2 1 
 
 EXPERIMENT II. 
 
 unveil'd, or an Experiment tending 
 to prove what it really is ; alfo its great In- 
 clination to return into the Earth from whence 
 it came. 
 
 IF Wires are fupported with filken Strings to 
 any given Length, whatfoever, and then elec- 
 tris'd ; although they will fhew as. great an Energy, 
 and produce as fmart a Crack, or Explofion, at the 
 greateft Extremity as near the Machine, particu- 
 larly if the Air and filk Supporters are very dry, 
 yet, if they are touch'd but with a Finger of a 
 Perfon Handing on the Floor, at the fame, or any 
 other Diftance, the whole Length of the Wire will 
 be, . that Moment, depriv'd of its electrical Virtue, 
 and not the lead Sign of Fire or Attraction will be 
 found at any Part of the Apparatus, and will be 
 again as inftantaneoufly reftor'd to its former Acti- 
 vity by taking off the Finger. 
 
 What Experiment can poiTibly prove any Thing 
 more effectually than this does that of extreme Sub- 
 tilty and inconceivable Velocity ? 
 
 For although when a Finger is on, even at the 
 farther End, no Fire or Attraction is to be found 
 throughout the Whole, yet it mutt, at the fame 
 Time, be undeniably pafling through the internal 
 Parts of the Wires, and through the Perfon into 
 the Earth, otherwife it could not again ib inftanta- 
 neoufly accumulate and form an Atmofphere on 
 them, at Removing the Finger : Or if, inftead of 
 removing the Finger, he fteps upon a Cake of Re- 
 fm or Bees-wax, the Effect will be the fame ; and 
 again, if he but touch the Floor with one of the 
 Toes of his Shoes, while {landing on the Refin, and 
 a Finger on the Wire, the Whole will again, that 
 C 3 very
 
 22 Ele&ricity render d tifeful. 
 
 very tnftant, be depriv'd of its Activity, and fo 
 continue as long as he either keeps his Foot on 
 the Floor, or it but touch a Peribn with a Finger 
 of the Hand at Liberty. 
 
 QjJ ^E R I E S. 
 
 O E S not the Air, in this Experiment, aft 
 the Part of an Electric /w-/?, and that in a 
 
 oft remarkable Manner ? Were it not fo, in all 
 Probability, there never could have been the leaft 
 Appearance of what is calFd Electricity ; it mud 
 necefiarily vanifh into it again, as foon as excited, 
 notwithftanding the contiguousWires and filk Sup- 
 porters , but, inftead of that, does it not cling and 
 accumulate on the Wire, as we find by its Attract- 
 ing light Bodies ; forming an Atmofphere to a 
 confiderable Biftance from the envelop'd non-elec- 
 tric Body, rather than depart again into the hetero- 
 geneous Mafs, from whence * Part of it feems jufb 
 collected ; and will it not, as it were, fuffer itfelf 
 to be taken Captive in the Condenfing-phial, rather 
 than return thither again ? 
 
 And does it not feem to have as great a Propen- 
 fity to efcape into the Body of the Earth, as a Re- 
 luctance towards Returning into the Air ? Does it 
 not, at the Touch of a Finger, &V. though at the 
 greateft Diftance, dart, that Moment, into the 
 Karth, through the Perfon and all the interme- 
 diate Wires - y or if, by this or any other Means, 
 thefe Wires are brought in Contact with any Non-> 
 electric which has a Communication with the 
 
 * Although the principal Part of the eleftrical ^)ther is fo 
 undeniably attracted from the denfe Non-eleftrics near the 
 Glafs, and fupply'd from the Earth; yet, in all Probability, a 
 fmall Portion likewife is rubb'd or ground out of the Air, as 
 no fmali Quantity of Air muil neceflarily pafs between the Hac4 
 and revolving Globe.
 
 icity render d ufefuL 2%l 
 
 Earth, the Effect is always the fame, and not the [ 
 leatt Sign of Fire or Attraction is to be found on> 
 any Part of the Apparatus. 
 
 Does not the original Either, in this Experiment, 
 quit the internal Parts of the Wires, and give Place 
 to the newly collected JEthcr or electrical Fire, to 
 enter and occupy the fame Space , and, confequent- 
 ly, execute the fame Office, which it muft necefla-- 
 rily plo, all the Time the Wire has this luppos'd- 
 Communication with the Earr.li, and the Machine 
 in Motion ; and does it. not, as it were, leap into, 
 the Earth through the Perfon and tha internal 
 Parts of the Wires fo inftantaneouily as not to al- 
 low Time fufficient to accumulate or form any 
 Manner of Atmofphere on the external Parts ? For, 
 if the fmalleft Degree of Accumulation were oa 
 the external Parts, fome fmall Degree of Attrac- 
 tion would be alfo found, which yet is not the 
 Cafe. 
 
 Does not the electrical Fire as effectually pafs- 
 from the Machine, through the internal Part of 
 the Wire, and through the Perfon into the Earth, 
 as furely as Water is cohvey'd through a Pipe, all 
 the Time the Machine is in Motion, and the Per- 
 fon with- his Finger on the Wire ; and is not this 
 Communication with the Earth as effectually fepa- 
 rated by his Stepping on the electrical Cake, fmcc 
 the whole Line that Moment acts vigorouQy ? 
 What much adds to the marvellous Part, is, that 
 the Wires being touch'd, though at the greateft 
 Diftance, fhould fo affect it, as to put an entire 
 Stop to the Appearance of either Fire or Attrac- 
 tion throughout the whole Length of the Line, as 
 effectually as if done ever fo near the Machine. 
 
 Upon the Whole, if this Experiment alone is 
 
 not allow'd to be conclufive, I fhould be very glad 
 
 to be inform'd of the Reafoff why , particularly if 
 
 we are to fuppofe, with Sir Ifaac Newfon, that the 
 
 C 4 Pores
 
 24 Electricity render d ufcful. 
 
 Pores of the Wire were replete with the Particles 
 of ./Ether, before the Machine was in Motion : If 
 the electrical Fire were not actually the fame Sub- 
 ftance with the ./Ether, why would the original 
 JfEther in the Wire be found fo naturally to rum, 
 out firft into the Earth, and give Place to the elec- 
 trical j^Ether to follow it ? For it is imagin'd it 
 will not be reply'd, there was Room enough in 
 the Wire for both, or for the electrical Fire to pafs 
 by the Side of the original ./Ether, contain'd in the 
 internal Parts of the Wire. 
 
 N. B. I have infifted the more on this Experi- 
 ment, becauie, though it is moft eafily perform'd, 
 yet no Experiment can well be more clear and con- 
 clufive, or prove any Thing more effectually than 
 this does, that they are one and the fame. 
 
 B. But although the original ./Ether in Ani- 
 mals, Metals, &c. appears fo naturally to move 
 out at the firft Impulle of the electrical ^Ether, and 
 refign its Place and Office at once , yet, furely, it 
 Can be no abfolute Proof that they are the very 
 fame Subftance , becaufe we know Water will 
 drive Air out of a Cafk, Tube, or Pipe, and then 
 pofiefs the fame Space; yet, no- body will affirm 
 that Water and Air muft for this Reafon be the 
 fame Subftance. 
 
 A, This would appear like a formidable Objec- 
 tion indeed, if Water was fo much like Air, that 
 One could not be diftinguifli'd from the other, and 
 endu'd with the moft efiential Properties afcrib'd 
 to Air , but, if not, it can be but of little Weight, 
 nor can any Arguments to prove the Contrary be 
 admitted, but fuch as are equally ftrong, and fup- 
 ported with Experiments equally clear and conclu- 
 fjve ; this being what is expected in all other Cafes, 
 it will be thought but reasonable, that the prefent 
 Cafe Hiould reft where the prefent Arguments and 
 
 Experi*
 
 Eletfricity render d ufefu!.' 25 
 
 Experiments leave it, till fuch equal Arguments 
 and Experiments are produc'd againll it. 
 
 B. But how can it be known that this fubtil Sub- 
 ftance is palling, as you fay, through the internal 
 Parts of the Wire, in the above Experiment, all 
 the Time the Perfon on the Floor keeps his Finger 
 on the Wire ? Why may it not be more reafona- 
 bly fuppos'd to pals along the Surface ? 
 
 A., Not only becaufe there is no Fire or Attrac- 
 tion to be found throughout the Surface of the 
 whole electrify'd Line, but many other Experi- 
 ments fo clearly prove it to pals through the inter- 
 nal Parts of Bodies, as to put it beyond Difpute, 
 fuch as the Experiment of the capillary Syphon, 
 and many others. 
 
 In the Experiment of the capillary Syphon, for 
 Example, it mud neceflarily pervade the whole 
 Body of the Water, before it can come to the lower 
 End of the Syphon at the Bottom of a glafs Cup : 
 I have alfo prov'd it, through aglafsVelTel of Wa- 
 ter, twenty-feven Inches in Length : Aifo by bring- 
 ing a Chain from the condenfmg Phial to the Cock 
 of an upright Barrel of Liquor, then putting a 
 Finger to the Liquor at the Bung, in the Top, and 
 bringing a Finger of the other Hand to the excited 
 Apparatus ; the electrical ./Ether was obferv'd to 
 pafs through it moil freely, becaufe a fmart Shock 
 was felt as ufual in the Elbows. 
 
 In the preceding fecond Experiment appears 
 fomething moft wonderful. 
 
 The setherial Spirit, or fubtil Medium, is not 
 only undeniably found to poffefs and fill up the 
 Pores of the denie Wire, where it is confequently 
 exceeding fine and rare ; but it appears alfo quite 
 loofe and free, and fo active as to quit its Place at 
 the very firft Impulfe of the electrical ^Ether at the 
 Machine, notwithftanding the Machine be at ever 
 fo great a Diftance from the Part where the Wire 
 4 commu-
 
 z6. Ele&ricity render d ufefuL 
 
 communicates with the Earth; and though the 
 metallic Tube, for fo I can't help calling the Wire, 
 with Regard to the moving ./Ether, be ever fo of- 
 ten turned and returned, and ever fo many Angles 
 form'd *. 
 
 Let us then once more, for the Sake of Illuftra- 
 tion, fuppofe a Wire, of fome thoufand Miles in 
 Length, fupported as above with filken Strings ; 
 from any Thing that appears to the Contrary, we 
 can have no Reafon to believe but that the Effect 
 would be, to Scnfe at lead, equally the fame as if 
 k were no more than fo many Inches or Barley- 
 corns in Length. 
 
 . Or, inftead of fuch a Length of Wire, let a Num- 
 ber of Men continu'd to the fame Length be fup- 
 pos'd Handing on Cakes -of Refin, all joining 
 Hands, or communicating with each other by 
 Means of metallic Bodies, yet dill the Effect muft 
 be the fame ; and if the Peribn, at the utmoft Ex- 
 tremity, were but to put his iron Rod to the Earth, 
 or put a Foot on it, the whole Length will that 
 Moment be (as prov'd above) depriv'd of its Fire 
 and Attraction, even quite to the very Machine it- 
 felf; and the former Activity as inftantaneouOy 
 reftor'd throughout the Whole, at Lifting up of the 
 Foot or iron -Rod, particularly if the Air be fup- 
 pos'd perfectly dry. 
 
 B. How is it poffible to account for fuch an 
 amazing Paradox ? 
 
 A. No other wife than by conceiving its Motion- 
 to be perform'd in the fame Manner as the folar 
 Rays, ignited ^ther, or Light , which by Means 
 of an aftonifhing Elafticity, their Motion is pro- 
 
 * This is fuch a Property belonging to eleftrical 
 which, before it was difcover'd by ele&rical Experiments, was 
 fcarce ever iraagir/d to belong to any Kind of fubtil Fluid in 
 Xiturg,. 
 
 pagated
 
 Elefifrictty rendered useful. 27 
 
 pagated or reflected to the Diftance of ten Millions 
 of Miles in a Minute \ viz. by conceiving each 
 elaftic Particle to drive the next Particle forwards 
 in the very fame Manner as Solids do. 
 
 And, notwithftanding the Velocity of Light is fo 
 great, yet is there no leis Reafon to conclude, 
 trom the Experiment, but that the Motion of the 
 electrical ^Ether is equally inftantaneous, from the 
 electrical revolving Globe, into the Earth. 
 
 N. B. It is to be obferv'd, that by the two fore- 
 going Experiments a Circulation is perform'd, al- 
 though we feem' quite ignorant of it, as well as 
 many other Kind of Circulations in Nature, of 
 which thofe Experiments furnifh us with various 
 Hints. 
 
 By the firft Experiment we plainly perceive it to 
 be fupply'd from the. Earth, through the Inltru- 
 ment of Friction to the prime electrical revolving 
 Globe, where the violent Force of Attraction is 
 form'd: And by the fecond Experiment we as 
 plainly perceive it to return from the Globe to die 
 Wires, and through the Perfon into the Earth 
 again. 
 
 So that if a Perfon, with a'Hand on the Globe in 
 Motion, touch any Part of the excited Apparatus 
 with his other Hand, a Circulation of the electrical 
 Either is perform'd through him at the fame Time ; 
 viz. attracted by the glafs Globe from his Hand 
 and Body, and fupply'd by the Earth ; and back 
 from the Apparatus, through the other Hand into 
 the Earth again. 
 
 B. Sir Ifaac Newton frequently makes Mention 
 of a violent rapid vibrating Motion in his ./Ether, 
 which communicates Motion to other Bodies. 
 
 So that, by its Pulfes or Vibrations, he accounts 
 for many of the Operations of Nature. 
 
 And even that of Senfation is faid to be per- 
 form'd by the Vibrations of this fubtil Spirit pro 
 
 pagated
 
 28 JLle&ricity render d ufeful. 
 
 pagated along the folid Filaments of the Nerves, 
 begun by external Objects, and convey 'd to theBrain. 
 
 The different Sorts of Rays of Light alfo he 
 conceives to make Vibrations of different Bigneffesi 
 which, according to their different Size, excite 
 Senfations of different Colours ; much after thefame 
 Manner as Vibrations of the Air, according to their 
 differentBignefs,excite Senfations of feveral Sounds*. 
 
 I mould be glad therefore to know if you have 
 any Experiment which proves fuch a vibratory 
 Motion in electrical JEther ? 
 
 A. There is one in particular that appears very 
 much to illuftrate fuch a Suppofition, which Ex- 
 periment feems to be perform'd by Means likewife 
 of a violent elaftic Force f, inherent in the electri- 
 cal ./Ether, and is as follows : 
 
 EXPERIMENT III. 
 
 IF a downy Feather, or a Piece of Thiftle-down, 
 be laid near the Edge of a fmooth Plate of Me- 
 tal, and brought to the Diftance of two Inches, 
 more or lefs, of the excited Gun-barrel or Wires, 
 &c. which proper Diftance by Trials is foon found, 
 laying a Finger, at the fame Time, on the excited 
 Apparatus, till it be brought to a proper Diftance; 
 the Feather will, at Taking off the Finger, be at- 
 tracted and repell'd with fuch an aftonifhing Cele-. 
 rity, that we even lofe Sight of it, both as to its 
 Form and Motion -, and all that will be difcern'd, 
 is its Colour only J, which fills up the whole 
 Space in which it vibrates -, for which Reafon it 
 is impofTible to form any tolerable Conjecture or 
 Computation of the Number of Vibrations per-. 
 
 * Chambers'^ Dictionary 
 
 f- Sir Ifnac Newton, when fpeaking ofyEther, fays: That 
 the elaftic Force of this Medium is exceeding great, may be ga- 
 ther'd from the Swiftnefs of its Vibrations. Opt. Qu&r. 21. 
 
 J This is not to be feen in Perfection, except the Machine 
 afts vigorously. 
 
 form'd,
 
 Ektfricity render d ufeful. 29 
 
 form'd, which poflibly may be fome Thoufands 
 in the Space of a Minute, fo inconceivably fwift 
 is its Motion: If the Piece of Metal be held 
 ever fo little farther off, the Motion will be 
 much retarded ; but if it be brought nearer, or to 
 about an Inch and an Half of the electris'd Body, 
 it makes a full Stop all at once , it then communi- 
 cating the Fire as fail to the Non-electris'd, as it 
 receives it from the electris'd Metal ; but the pro- 
 per Diftance is fometimes greater, fometimes lefs, 
 according to the Size of the Thiftle-down *. 
 
 B. What do you infer from this vibrating Mo- 
 tion, as you call it, of the Feather which is thus 
 mov'd backward and forward like a Shuttle-cock, 
 by the attracting and repelling Quality of the elec- 
 trical Matter ? Can this Motion of the Feather 
 (hew a vibrating Property in the electrical Matter ? 
 This feems to prove no more than what is gene- 
 rally allow'd, namely, that, where Attraction ends, 
 Repulfion begins. 
 
 A. But the Reafon, why an equal Repulfion 
 mould begin where Attraction ends, does not ap- 
 pear quite plain : We are told that a Body which 
 receives an Impreflion, but does not retain it, is 
 call'd an elaftic Body, and, 
 
 If the Force of Reftitution be equal to the Force 
 of Compreflion, it is faid to be perfectly elaftic. 
 
 Here feems indeed to be a Reafon pointed out, 
 why it may be expected, that, where the repulfivc 
 Power ends, there an attractive Power, or a Power 
 in the oppofite Direction, mould begin ; namely, 
 the different and alternate Motions of an active 
 elaftic Agent , or, to fpeak more intelligibly, 
 where the Force of Pulfion or Compreffion ends, 
 
 * In this Experiment the Feather is oftentimes obfervM to 
 move circularly when brought to a little farther Diftance, viz.. 
 where the Motion is more flow. 
 
 there
 
 30 Electricity render d ufefut* 
 
 there the Force of Reftitution, or what is other- 
 wife often call'd Attraction, begins , and electrical 
 Experiments furnifh us with various Hints, which 
 feem to countenance an Hypothefis, even of a per- 
 fect elaftic Quality in ^Ether : Sir Ifaac Newton 
 himfelf fuppofes it to be 700,000 Times more 
 elaftic than Air, and 700,000 more rare, in his 
 Optics y ^u^ries 21 and 22 *. 
 . <j)u<ery I. If the Suppofition of fuch a perfect 
 Elafticity in theaetherial Medium be not agreeable 
 to the conftant vibrating Motion which it is fup* 
 pos'd to be endu'd with ? 
 
 On the Suppofition of fuch a univerfal vibrato- 
 ry Motion throughout Nature, and of complete 
 Elaiticity in the Parts of the univerial JEther. 
 
 Qu<ry II. Whether it is not arguing confift- 
 ently to fay (inftead of faying, where Attraction 
 ends, there a repuifive Force begins) where Re- 
 pulfion or Compreffion ends, there an equal Power 
 of Elafticity or Reftitution muft confequently be- 
 gin ? Since, by fuch a Suppofition, a univerfal 
 mechanical Motion, when once begun, muft be 
 perpetuated ? All which appears, -like wife, not only 
 agreeable to the above fuppos'd conftant Vibration 
 of the Parts of /Ether, but fimple, and therefore 
 fo much the more like Nature -, agreeable alfo to 
 the Opinion of the renown'd Boerhaave, viz. that 
 Fire is the Caufe of all the Motion in the Univerfe. 
 
 B. Which is the chief or moft prevailing Pro- 
 perty in electrical ./Ether ? 
 
 A. The Properties are fo numerous, and withal 
 fo remarkably great, it is fomething difficult to de- 
 termine which is the Chief ; but, when it is arrefted 
 
 * Sir Ifaac Neixton fays, the elaftic Force of the ./Ether muft 
 be more than 490,000,000,000 Times greater, in Proportion to 
 its Denfity, than the elaftic Force of the Ak is, in Proportion 
 fo its Denfit/. O///o, ^Wr. zi. 
 
 and
 
 Electricity render d ufefuL 3 1 
 
 and detain'd in the Phial, the moft prevailing 
 Quality appears to be a Tendency to circulate, 
 which is always remarkably confpicuous, whene- 
 ver a Shock, as it is call'd, is produced, which Cir- 
 culation is obferv'd to be perform'd from the 
 charg'd Condenfmg-phial to the fame Place again , 
 and, whatever be the Form of the Circuit, the Re- 
 fult will- ftill be the fame, nor can any Shock be 
 given, except a Circuit of fome Form or other be 
 contriv'd, from the Body of the Phial to the Lead- 
 ing-wire :, viz. the Wire which enters into the 
 filial, or elfe to fome Non-electric in Contact 
 with it, as the Gun-barrel, &c. on which it is ge- 
 nerally fufpended. 
 
 But it is by no Means neceffary that the Phial 
 be fufpended on any Part of the Apparatus, for a 
 Shock may as eafily, and many Times much more 
 commodioufly, be given by holding it in the Hand. 
 
 EXPERIMENT IV. 
 
 In 'which appears the mojl remarkable, elajl'iCj or 
 violent expanfi've Force that can poffibly be con- 
 ceiiid) and which may not improperly be termd 
 the circulating Experiment. 
 
 IN Order to explain this Phenomenon the more 
 clearly, I fhall firft take Notice of the fhorteit 
 Circuit of all, which may be perform'd thus : 
 
 Lay the hooked Leading-wire, piercing the 
 Cork of the Condenfmg-phial, either to the glafs 
 Globe in Motion, or elfe to the excited Gun-barrel 
 or Wires, by which Means it will foon ' be fuffi- 
 ciently charg'd ; which done, put one End of any 
 metallic Body to the Coating of the Phial, and 
 then bring the other End to the Wire which con- 
 veys the Fire into it, through the Cork, where it 
 will burft and produce a fmart Crack or Explofion, 
 but the Perfon who makes the Experiment will 
 
 receive
 
 32 Ektfricity render d n 
 
 receive no Shock ; the Reafon of which is, the 
 conftant Rule it obferves, in always paffing the 
 neareft and fhorteft Way poirble, which in this 
 Experiment is through the connecting Wire, or 
 that which comes from the leaden Cafe of the Phial, 
 to the Wire pafling through the Cork. 
 
 In this fhorteft Circuit, the moft Fire and the 
 greateit Explofion is produc'd * , and thofe Effects 
 are, as may reafonably be fuppos'd, according to 
 the Size of the glafs Veffel prepar'd for its Recep- 
 tion. 
 
 B. How can you be furc that any Circulation is 
 perform'd in this Experiment, by only feeing it 
 burft at the Meeting of the two Wires ? 
 
 A. To prove that there will always be a Circuit 
 form'd in this Experiment, and that from the Part 
 where it is generated to the fame Part again, viz. 
 from the Infide of the Phial to the Infide of the 
 fame Phial again : I^et the Circuit be enlarg'd, thus: 
 
 Inftead of bringing the connecting Wire from 
 the Coating of the Phial to the Wire leading into 
 it, as in the laft Experiment -, let a Perfon grafp 
 tfce charg'd Phial, and bring a Finger of his other 
 Hand to the Wire which leads through the Cork, 
 at which Place it will crack or explode as before -, 
 but, in thisExperiment, the Perfon receives a Shock, 
 particularly at his Elbows or Wrifts ; for, as the 
 greateft Part of this Circuit was form'd by the Per- 
 fon, the neareft Way it could circulate muft be 
 through his Arms and Breaft, which being per- 
 form'd with the utmoit Violence, is the Reafon 
 why thofe Parts are fo affefted, particularly the 
 Elbows or Wrifts, where it meets with the greateft 
 Refiftance. 
 
 * The Explofion is very fmall when the Circuit is large, 
 proved by Mr. Vt'atfon* Experiments. See his Trfatife on large 
 Circuiti; Page 5-4, 
 
 Again,
 
 jLleStricity render d ufeful-. 3 3 
 
 Again, to increafe the Circuit, let two, three, 
 or more Perforis, all join Hands, and the Perfon 
 at one Extremity either touch the Coat of the 
 Condenfing-phial, or elfe hold it in the Hand ac 
 Liberty ; then let the Perfon at the other Ex- 
 tremity bring his Hand to the aforefaid Wire 
 which leads into the Bottle, and they will all at 
 the fame Inflant receive an equal Shock j and 
 this, as is well known, will equally fucceed, let 
 the Number of Men be ever fo great, and the 
 Circuit ever fo much enlarg'd. 
 
 This Experiment may be otherwife vary'd. 
 
 Let the aforefaid Number of Men, or, if you 
 pleafe, a whole Army, form themfelves into a 
 Circle, or a Circuit in any other Form, all join- 
 ing Hands, excepting two only ; one of which tak- 
 ing the prepared Phial into the Hand at Liberty, 
 holding it by the coated Part ; then let the Perfon 
 at the other Extremity touch the conveying Wire 
 which leads thro' the Cork, and the Circulation 
 will be inftantly compleated throughout the whole 
 Army, and every Individual will that Moment 
 receive the Shock. 
 
 B. Is it not reafonable to fufpect fome great 
 Deception in this Experiment , for how can it be 
 fuppos'd credible, that the largeft Circle can be 
 compleated, fo as to move all round it in the fame 
 Space of Time as round the fmalleft, unlefs it 
 were to move all at once, like a folid W r heel on 
 its Axis, which, if the lead Part of the Circum- 
 ference were mov'd forward, the Whole muft 
 move ; or like any folid Body of the greatefl 
 Length, which could not be pum'd forward ever 
 fo little at one of the Extremities, but every Part 
 mult- be equally affected ; but this, it is imagin'd, 
 cou'd never be the Cafe in that Experiment, if it 
 were for no other Reafon than that it is a Fluid, 
 D and
 
 34 Electricity render d ufefttL 
 
 and moves not in a Circle, but generally in an 
 irregular Circuit ? 
 
 A. As to its being incapable of moving like a 
 folid Wheel, becauie it is a fluid Body, perhaps 
 can be no juft Reafon ; for, if it be compleatly 
 elaftic, the Compleatneis of its Fluidity may be 
 fo far from an Impediment, that it may pofiibly 
 very much contribute towards the Motion being 
 equally free, whether its Paffage be regular or 
 irregular. And, that a Motion may be fo fwift as 
 to appear inftantaneous, we need only confider 
 the Velocity of the iblar Rays. 
 
 B. It was always much queftion'd, whether 
 there was any fuch Thing in Nature as a com- 
 pleatly elaftic Body ? 
 
 A. But this was before the Properties of /Ether 
 were fo well known , we then were acquainted 
 with nothing in Nature, except the Rays of Light, 
 fo elaftic, as to propagate a Motion fo inftanta- 
 neoufly to the greateft Diftance, by almoft the leaft 
 Impreftion or Impulfe, and this, though the Wire 
 in which it is contain'd, be ever fo often tufn'd and 
 return'd. It is true, this appears fo great a Para- 
 dox, that, if it were poffible, we mould be ready to- 
 difbelieve our very Senfes ; but as Fads are fa 
 ftubborn as to yield to no Arguments, however 
 fubtle or nicely form'd -, fo we are at length forc'd 
 to fubmit, and it is preium'd the greatelt Philolb- 
 phers will never be able to account for this won- 
 derful Phenomenon, unlefs they afcribe to /Et-her 
 fuch a Property as was imagined to belong to no 
 kind of Matter in Nature, namely, that of per- 
 fect Elafticity, or what makes a very near Ap- 
 proach to it ; altho', as above, fuch a perfect Elaf- 
 ticity in the fubtil Medium muft feem abfoliitely 
 neceffary to perpetuate that vibratory Motion, 
 which Sir Ifaac Newton conceives not only to fub- 
 
 fift
 
 JLIeffiricify render d ufefuL 3 tj 
 
 fift in it', but alfo to be the Caufe of many of the 
 grieaceft Operations in- Nature. 
 
 This Tendency to circulate, and that in the 
 fhorteft and neareft Way poffible, is fo remark- 
 ably great, that no Length or Breadth even of 
 Waters can prevail with it todifperfe or fpread it> 
 felf from the Point of Direction given ; it having 
 been prov'd along the Sides of Rivers, and acroft 
 large Lakes of fome Miles , fome of thefe Ac- 
 counts being firft communicated from Paris, Mr. 
 Watfon, and feveral other Members of the Royal 
 Society, try'd the fame Experiment with Succels, 
 acrofs the River Thames, at the new Bridge, Wefi- 
 tninfter *. 
 
 Another Time at Shooters-Hill* about eight 
 Miles from London^ he, with nine more of the 
 Royal Society, made other Experiments, in order 
 to prove whether the electrical Fire would revoivg 
 in larger Circuits, and whether the Shocks could 
 be fenfibly felt at greater as well as leffer Diftances j 
 and alfo to afcertain its Celerity : They iverg there- 
 fore made with the greateft Circumipe6tion and 
 Exactnefsj which thoroughly convinc'd them, if 
 was not in their Power to form a Circuit fo large, 
 but that the Revolution always appear'd a3 iriftan* 
 taneous as Light from the Sun, notwkhftanding 
 one was form'd of four Miles> at which Diftanca 
 they alfo found the Shocks to be exceeding great. 
 
 B. In what Manner are we to conceive this fur- 
 prifing Shock and Circulation to be generated of 
 produc'd ? 
 
 A. Before any adequate Idea can be formed, 
 it will be necefiary to confider, 
 
 firft 9 That Univerfality and extreme Subtilt/ 
 
 * From the Condenfmg-phial on the South Side of the Wa- 
 tcr 4 were Wires convey 'd over the Bridge, to the Water on the 
 North Side, which convey 'd it back to the Phial again, or to 
 Wires contiguous to it. 
 
 D 2 Cf
 
 3 6 Electricity 'render d ufeful. 
 
 of ^ther, which is obferv'd by Sir Ifaac 
 and many other eminent Philoibphers, to be fuch, 
 as to fill all Space as well as the minute Pores of 
 all grofs Bodies, and is moft remarkable in thole 
 that are the moft denfe and compacted , for in 
 thefe only it appears the moft pure, active, and 
 moft formidable, agreeable to what we obferve in 
 the electrical Experiments : Thofe grofs Bodies, 
 which are lefs denfe and compacted, being obferv'd 
 to admit of the more grofs and lefs active Particles 
 of the common Air, which are ever found to be 
 a moft remarkable Obftacle to the free Action of 
 the pure .(Ether. 
 
 Secondly, A general Law, which is obferv'd to 
 obtain in homogeneous Fluids, not only of an apt 
 and ready Unition, but alfo of the lefler con- 
 ftantly efcaping or vaniming into the greater ; 
 as when two Drops of Water, a greater and a lefs, 
 are brought in Contact j they will not only co- 
 here and unite, but the lefler Drop is always ob- 
 ferv'd to rufh or efcape with Violence, or be at- 
 tracted, into the greater j and, in two fuch Drops 
 or Globules of Mercury, this Propenfity feems 
 much greater, for, the greater the Denfity of the 
 Fluid, the more this Principle is obferv'd to pre- 
 vail -, and, the more compleat the Fluid, ftill the 
 greater this Propenfity , this fubtil Medium then 
 being, in all Probability, a moft compleat denfe 
 Fluid *, fuch Propenfity is obferv'd in a moft 
 eminent Degree. 
 
 Thirdly , The fix'd ^Ether, contain'd in the Pores 
 of the Glafs, is obferv'd to be a moft firm Bond 
 to the electrical Matter, and confequently no fmall 
 Contributor towards producing the Shock, by firft 
 arrefting and detaining a fufficient Quantity of it j 
 
 * Sir Tfaac Newton tells us, it fills all Space adequately with- 
 out leaving ajiy Pores, and by Confequence it much denfer than 
 Quickfilver or Gold. Optics, Quter.zz. 
 
 and
 
 Electricity render d ufefiil. 37 
 
 iiiid we may be well aflur'd, by many Experi- 
 ments, that this fubtil Medium, when convey'd 
 into the Phial, is mod powerfully attach'd to the 
 fix'd ^Ether in the Glafs, where the Attraction alfo 
 appears remarkably active , for, if we darken the 
 Room, when the Machine is in Motion, and the 
 Condeniing-phial fufpended on it, we no fooner 
 lay a Finger on the Phial, or any Piece of Chain 
 or ^ire hanging to it, not reaching to the Floor, 
 but the original ^Ether contain'd in the Pores of 
 the Finger is inftantly attracted into it with fuch 
 Violence, as to caufe a fmall Flam of Light in the 
 Phial . 
 
 That this is caus'd by an additional Supply at- 
 tracted from the Finger, and again fupply'd by 
 the Earth, will appear by confidering, that, when 
 the Phial is fufpended on the Gun-barrel, csfa. it 
 receives no.t fufficient Strength to produce a Shock, 
 till a Handj Finger, or fome other denfe Non- 
 electric, in Contact with the Floor, be laid on it r 
 or to any Bit of Wire, &c. hanging to it : This 
 may be prov'd, by attempting to produce a Shock 
 as fpon as the Fingers are laid to the Phial, which 
 will not then fucceed ; but, after Continuing it on 
 a fmall Time, and it has receiv'd a greater Supply 
 from it, the Shock will then fucceed, and confe- 
 q.uently the Circulation, as above f. 
 
 And, farther to prove that the Condenfing-phial 
 does actually attract fuch a Supply from the Earth, 
 let the Perfon who tries the Experiment ftep on a 
 Cake of Refm, which cuts orF its Communication 
 
 * This is fcarcely perceptible, except the Phial, inftead of be- 
 ing furnifh'd with Filings, be l;n'd with leaf Gold ; but then, if 
 the Room be darken'd, it aiwavs appears 
 
 t By this it appears, that the Phial, by hanging on the Ma- 
 chine, is only put into a State of Attraction but, when the 
 
 Hnnd is laid on it, it does then actually atcraft a fafficient Suppiy 
 from it. 
 
 D 3 with
 
 3 8 Eletfricity render d ufeful 
 
 with the Earth, and then no Shock will be pro- 
 duc'd, although his Hand be contin-u'd on the 
 Phial ever fo long. d 
 
 And ftill, if farther Proof were necefiary, that 
 the moil remarkable Attraction is towards the ex- 
 cited original Electric, whether Glafs, Amber, f?V. 
 Mr. RackftrGw's Experiment on his Sulphur Globe 
 puts it beyond Difpute ; in which Experiment, 
 Streams of Fire are feen iffuing out of the Pores 
 of the Fingers, though at three Inches Diftance, 
 rufhing on the Globe with fuch Violence, making 
 fuch a whizzing Noife, and caufing fo great a 
 JLight, as to be iufficient to ftartle the Peribn who 
 tries the Experiment. 
 
 B. If Mr. Rackftrow's Experiment prov'd ever 
 fo plainly, that the Motion of the electrical /Ether 
 was from the Fingers to the revolving Globe, yet 
 that can be no Proof, that the Motion is from 
 the Fingers, or other Non-ele6tric, to the Con- 
 denfing-phial ; for, although the electrical ./Ether 
 be accumulated at each, yet, the one being excited 
 by the Attrition of the Hand and Glafs, and the 
 other not, the Direction of the Motion might be 
 determin'd by fuch different Caufes, as to have 
 very different Effects ? 
 
 A. But as the Accumulation in both Cafes ap- 
 pears fo plainly to be furnimed immediately by the 
 Earth, Experiment i/?, p. 34 and p. 58. it will 
 be natural to c;.pect the Effect to be the fame at 
 the Phial and at the Globe, after Accumulation, 
 whether it be caus'd by Attrition, or not ; and the 
 abiblute Caufe of the Attraction and firm Adhefion 
 of the electrical ./Ether to the Phial and Globe 
 appears to bs the fix'd /Ether in their Pores ; and 
 this will always be the Cafe, whether the Globe be 
 gf Glafs, Amber, Sulphur, Sealing-wax, &c. 
 
 Upon the Whole, the fix'd A r .ther, contain'd 
 In the Pores pf the glafs Phial, appears to be the 
 
 firft
 
 Electricity render d ufeful. 39 
 
 firft and principal Caufe of all the late great Im- 
 provements, confequently the Caufe of our behold- 
 ing it act in fo formidable a Manner ; for, had it 
 'not been for the fix'd ^ther in the Phial, Pro- 
 felTor Mufchenbroek had never difcover'd the Shock ; 
 and the loofer ^Ether uniting with the fix'd ^ther 
 in Glafs, or other original Electrics, will, I am 
 throughly perfuaded, be found a much more pow- 
 erful Caufe of the late great Improvements in 
 Electricity than is generally imagin'd, and the 
 only Caufe we are able to detain it, at any Rate, 
 long enough to make the Experiments. 
 
 But the greatefl and chief mechanical Caufe, 
 why Motion is fo inilantaneouily propagated to 
 diftant Parts, Philofophers afcribe to a perfectly 
 elaftic Quality of the fubtil fluid Either, or at 
 Jeaft, I fay, to what feerns to make a very near 
 Approach to it ; and this muft undoubtedly be the 
 only Caufe of the Shock, and why the Motion is 
 fo inftantaneoufly communicated from the Con- 
 denfing-phial to diftant Parts. 
 
 B. What is the chief Property of a perfectly 
 elaftic Body ? 
 
 A, That the Force of Reftitution be equal to 
 the Force of Compremon, as above, at/>. 48. . 
 
 According to Dr uincy, in his Phyfical Dic- 
 
 " If two fuch Bodies ftrike one againft another, 
 *' there will be, or remain in each, the fame re- 
 *' iative Velocity as before, /'. e. they will recede 
 " with the fame Velocity as they met together 
 *' with. For the compremve Force, or the Mag- 
 " nitude of the Strpke in any given Bodies, arifes 
 " from the relative Velocity of thofe Bodies, and 
 " is proportional to it : And Bodies perfectly 
 *' elaftic will reftqre themfedves compleatly to the 
 ct Figure they had before the Shock ; or, in other 
 " Words, the reflitutive Force is equal to the 
 D 4 " com-
 
 40 Electricity render d ufeful. 
 
 " compreffive, and therefore muft be equal to the 
 " Force with which they acceded, and confe- 
 11 quently they muft, by Elafticity, recede again 
 " from each other with the fame Velocity. Hence, 
 " taking equal Times, before and after the Shock, 
 " the Diftances between the Bodies will be equal : 
 " And therefore the Diftances of Times, from 
 " the common Center of Gravity, will, in the 
 " fame Times, be equal. And hence the Laws 
 " of meeting Bodies, perfectly elaftical, are eafily 
 
 " deduc'd." Accordingly he proceeds to a 
 
 Demonftration. 
 
 B. But, tho' this be allow'd in folid and firm 
 Bodies, yet, as the component Parts of a Fluid are 
 fuppos'd to be fuch as freely to flow by or over 
 each other, and, the more treely thofe Particles 
 Hide by each other, fo much the more perfect is 
 the Fluid : How can it be reafonably imagin'd, 
 that fuch a yielding Subftance mould propagate 
 Motion fo inftantancoufly to diftant Parts, as we 
 obferve it to do in thofe elccc. ical Operations ? 
 
 A. You muft take Care not to confound an elaf- 
 tic Fluid with other Fluids, for an elaftic Fluid 
 will, on Examination, be found as different from 
 ail other Fluids, as if they were quite contrary 
 Things. 
 
 To prove which, I mall tranfcribe the ninth 
 Page of the Univerfal Magazine for January 1755, 
 on Fluidity: 
 
 " The Nature and Caufe of Fluidity has been 
 " variously afllgn'd. The Gafendifts and ancient 
 cc Corpufcularians requir'd only three Conditions as 
 " necelfary thereto, viz. a Smallnefs and Smooth- 
 " nefs of the Particles of the Body, Vacuities in- 
 * c terfpers'd between them, and a fpherical Figure. 
 
 " The Cartefians, and, after them, Dr Hooke^ 
 Mr Boyle, &c. befides the Circumftances above-. 
 ^ memion'dj require a various, perpetual, intef- 
 
 " tine?
 
 Ekftricity render d ufefuL 41 
 
 " tine Motion of the Particles of the Body, as that 
 " which principally contributes to Fluidity. 
 
 " According to thefe Philofophers, therefore, 
 " Fluidity confifts in this : That the Parts of the 
 ** Body, being very fine and fmall, are fo difpos'd, 
 " by Motion or Figure, as that they can eafily 
 " Hide over one another's Surfaces all Manner of 
 " Ways ; and that they be in conftant, various, 
 " feparate Agitation to and fro , and that they 
 " only touch one another in fome Parts of their 
 " Surfaces. 
 
 " Mr Boyle y in his Hiftory of Fluidity, men- 
 " tions thefe three, as the principal Conditions re- 
 " quir'd to Fluidity. 
 
 1. " The Minutenefs of Parts : As, in EffecTr, 
 <c we find that Fire, by dividing Metals into fine, 
 " fmall Parts, renders them fluid ; and that acid 
 ct Menftruums diflblve and render them fluid after 
 " the like Manner-, and that Fire turns the hard 
 " Body of common Salt almoft wholly into a Li- 
 " quor, by Diftillation : Not but that the Figure 
 cc of the Particles may have a confiderable Share 
 " in Fluidity. 
 
 " Thus Mercury, whofe Parts are, doubtlefs, 
 " much groffer than thofe of Oil and Water, is 
 u yet more fluid than either of them : And thus 
 *' Oil, by the Action of Fire, may be converted 
 '* into a confident Subftance, like Butter. 
 
 2. " Store of Vacuities * interfpers'd between 
 " the Corpufcles, to give Room tor the feveral 
 " Particles to move among themfelves. 
 
 3. " A Motion and Agitation of the Corpuf- 
 " cles, either from fome Principle of Mobility 
 " within themfelves, or from fome extraneous A- 
 
 * The elaftic fluid ^Ether is fo widely different from a com- 
 mon Fluid, as to have no Vacuities, but fills up all Space ade- 
 quately, without leaving any Pores. Optics, ^ar. zz. 
 
 2 " gent,
 
 42 Elettriclty render d uJefuL 
 
 " gent, penetrating and entering the Pores, mov- 
 11 ing variouQy among them, and communicating 
 " to them Part of its Motion. 
 
 " That this laft is the Qualification chiefly re- 
 " quir'd in Fluidity, he argues from divers Ob- 
 " iervations and Experiments. 
 
 " Thus, a little dry Powder of Alabafter, or 
 c< Plaifter of Paris finely fifted, being put in a 
 " Veffel over the Fire, it foon begins to boil like 
 " Water, exhibiting all the Motions and Phaeno- 
 " mena of a boiling Liquor : It will tumble va- 
 * 4 rioufly in great Waves, like that ; will bear 
 " Stirring with a Stick, or Ladle, Jike that, with- 
 " out Refifling , nay, if ftrongly flirr'd near the 
 " Side of the Veflel, its Waves will apparently 
 " dam againft them -, yet is it, all the While, a 
 * 4 dry, parched Powder. 
 
 " The like is obferv'd in Sand : A Dim of 
 " which being fet on a Drum-head briikly beaten 
 " by the Sticks, or on the upper Stone of a Mill, 
 " it in aJl Refpects emulates the Properties of a 
 " fluid Body : A heavy Body, e. gr. will imme- 
 *' diately fink in it to the Bottom, and a light one 
 " emerge to the Top. Each Grain of Sand has 
 " a conltant vibratory and dancing Motion ; and, 
 " if a Hole be made in the Side of the Dim, the 
 .*' Sand will fpin out like Water. 
 
 " That the Parts of Fluids are in continual 
 " Motion, the Cartefians bring divers Confidcra- 
 " tions to prove : As, ift, 1'he Tranfrnutation 
 " of Solids into Fluids, e. gr. Ice into Water, 
 <c and vice verfd ; the chief Difference between 
 " the Body, in thofe two States, confiding in this, 
 " that the Parts, being fixed and at Reft in the 
 *' one, refifl the Touch ; whereas, in the other, 
 " being already in Motion, they give Way up- 
 " on the flighted Impulfe. idly, The Effecls of 
 <{ Fluids, which commonly proceed from Mo- 
 
 '* tion :
 
 Eleflricity render d ufefuL 43 
 
 ** tion : Such are the Infmnation of Fluids among 
 <c the Pores of Bodies ; the Softening and Dif- 
 " folving of hard Bodies ; the Actions of corro- 
 *' five Menftruums, &c. Add, that no Solid can 
 *' be brought to a State of Fluidity, without the 
 * c Intervention of fome moving or moveable Bo- 
 " dy, as Fire, Air, 'or Water. Air the fame 
 " Gentlemen hold to be the firft Spring of thefe 
 " Caufes of Fluidity, it being this that gives Mo- 
 ** tion to Fire and Water, though itfelf receives 
 " its Motion and Action from the /Ether, or fub- 
 " til Medium. 
 
 " Boerkaave pleads ftrenuoufly for Fire's being 
 " the firft Mover and Caufe of all Fluidity in 
 " other Bodies, as Air, Water, &c. Without this, 
 " he mews, that the Atmofphere itfelf would fix 
 " into one folid Mafs." So much for a common 
 Fluid. 
 
 But as we can form no adequate Conception 
 concerning an elaftic Fluid, but what is both di- 
 latable and compreflible, which other Fluids are 
 not, or very few, and thole in a fmall Degree ; 
 and as common Air is the moft remarkable elaftic 
 Fluid, we are well acquainted with ; let an elaftic 
 Fluid, like the Air, be imagin'd to be compos'd 
 of Parts that are both dilatable and compreffible ; 
 then, although in a common Fluid, the Parts are 
 fuppos'd to Hide eafily over each other, we can't 
 help conceiving the elaftic Fluid to be very fo- 
 reign, and widely different from any of the above- 
 mention'd Fluids : And if /Ether be 700,000 Times 
 more elaftic than Air, which is Sir Ifaac Newton's 
 Proportion, then /Ether muft endeavour to expand 
 itfelf more than Air in the fame Proportion. 
 
 If then the Difproportion of the elaftic Force be- 
 tween /Ether and that of common Air be fo ex- 
 ceeding great, notwithftanding the Expanfivcnefs 
 of Air has been magnify 'd to an extravagant De- 
 2 gree,
 
 44 Electricity render d ufefui 
 
 gree, viz. that if it were poflible to place a cubi- 
 cal Inch of Air, of the fame Denfity it is of, in its 
 natural State at the Earth's Surface, in a Vacuum, 
 where there was fufficient Room ; that then it 
 would probably expand itfelf, till it had fill'd a 
 Sphere, whofe Diameter was equal to the Diame- 
 ter of the Orbit of Saturn. 
 
 If there be any Probability of Truth in fuch a 
 Suppofition, and if all the elaftic Particles which 
 are capable of filling fo large a Sphere, are alfo 
 capable of being reduc'd, by the Weight of the 
 Atmofphere, or by any other Means, into the Space 
 of a cubical Inch ; in what a wonderful State of 
 Compreffion muft then the elaftic Particles of Ei- 
 ther be, even in its natural State, if its expanfive 
 Force be 700,000 Times greater than that of Air j 
 or, indeed, if a cubical Inch of /Ether itfelf were 
 only fuppos'd in fo comprefs'd a State, as to be ca- 
 pable of expanding, fo as to fill fo large a Sphere 
 as above ; even that muft be almoft infinitely more 
 than fufficient to exceed our very Comprehen- 
 fion, for the Number of cubical Miles, contain'd 
 in fuch a Sphere, is more than 1964 x 1000000 x 
 IOOOOGO x joooooo x 1000000, viz. more than 
 i 964000000000000000000000000. 
 
 This exceeding great Propenfity to expand itfelf 
 from fo violent a comprefs'd State, (particularly 
 when fo much more than is natural is crowded into 
 the Condenfing-phial) is naturally fuppos'd to be 
 the Reafon of the feveral Parts pufliing each other 
 in all Directions, efpecially thofe in that particular 
 Direction which receives the Imprefiion ; but more 
 efpecially in that particular Direction of the Cir- 
 cuit, which is form'd for the fame Purpofe, from 
 the Phial to the Phial again , for that appears to 
 be the only Canal for the free Pafiage of the JE- 
 ther, to the Vacuum form'd at the Phial, by 
 Means of the violent Explofion ; fo that the Mo- 
 tion
 
 Rlfftricity rendered ufeful. 45 
 
 tion to reftore the Equilibrium is, to Appearance, 
 inftaneous throughout the whole Circuit. 
 
 What ftrengthens and confirms the above Me- 
 thod of Reafoning, is, that fuch inftantaneous Mo- 
 tion to great Diftances is never obferv'd in the open 
 Air , for that, being fo remarkable an Electric -per 
 /?, proves the greateft Obftacle imaginable to fuch 
 a free Motion of the /Ether. 
 
 But when the above- mention'd Canal is open'd, 
 viz. when there is a Continuity of the elaftic Par- 
 ticles of /Ether to diftant Parts, I mean, when the 
 non-eledrical Circuit is form'd, in order to convey 
 the Shock ; then, and not till then, the Theory 
 feems confirm'd by the Experiment, and we find 
 the Motion inftantaneoufly propagated throughout 
 the Circuit, be it ever fo great and irregular. 
 
 Thefe Things being premis'd, I mail next endea- 
 vour to explain the Experiment by Delineation. 
 
 
 Let-
 
 Ek&rictty render d ufefuL 
 
 C 
 
 Let tf, , f, ^, be the Condenfmg-phial. 
 
 PC, joining to the Phial at P, be call'd the Con- 
 necling-wire, or Connecting-line. 
 
 D E A, leading through the Cork, be call'd the 
 Leading- wire. 
 
 A c B d-> the tinfel Fringe, reaching from A, the 
 Bottom of the Leading-wire to the Bottom and 
 Sides of the Phial, that fo the electrical Matter de- 
 
 The fiery Arrows in the Connecting- wire and Leading- 
 wire, sV. are to reprefent the Courfe fteer'd by the ./Ether. 
 
 fcending
 
 Ektfricity render d ufeful. 47 
 
 fcenUing through the Leading-wire may be con- 
 vey'd to the gold Lining of the Phial. 
 
 P. The electrical Fulciment, Fulcrum, or Prop, 
 v/s. that Part of the original ./Ether contain'd in 
 the lower End of the Connecting-wire. 
 
 Note. That, whereas the electrical Matter and the 
 univerfal Either fo plainly appear to be one and 
 the fame identical Subftance, it is prefum'd it will 
 be thought a fufficient Reafon for my Taking the 
 Liberty of calling the electrical Matter, by Way 
 of Diftinction, the electrical JEther. 
 
 Firft then :. Let the Condenfmg-phial be -fup- 
 pos'd charg'd with electrical j^Ether, and held in 
 the Hand , and, if all Things are replete with the 
 univerfal jEther, confequcntly the internal Parts 
 of the Connecting-wire CP are replete with the 
 fame Principle-, as alfoof the Leading-wire DE A, 
 which Leading-wire is likewife invelop'd in an At- 
 mofpherc, furroimding it, to a considerable Dif- 
 tance, with the electrical JEther-, the electrical 
 j^Ether is alfo conceiv'd to be mod intimately con- 
 nected with the original jrEther contain'd in the 
 Pores of the gold Lining of the Phial , and alfo to 
 the fame in the Pores of the leaden Coat of the 
 Phial *, but more efpecially to the fix'd /Ether in 
 the Pores of the Glafs : Either, then, feems to co- 
 here with ^Ether fo firmly, as to caufe the Con- 
 denfing-phial to appear a moil ftrong Hold ; and 
 all the great and powerful Attra6tion is for the 
 above Reafons conceiv'd to be there. 
 
 As then theCondenfing-phial, with its Contents 
 when thus charg'd, in Conjunction with the Lead- 
 
 .* Although the fix'd /Ether, in the Subftance of the GlafV, 
 docs not differ the electrical ./Ether to fly through it fo freely 
 as through Non-electrics ; yet it is obferv'd to pervade the 
 Glafs, fo as to fnap againft the Finger from the leaden Cafe, 
 when fufpended to the Gun-barrel. 
 
 ing-
 
 48 Ekffricity render d ufefuh 
 
 ing- wire, is obferv'd to be fo powerful an Attrac- 
 tor i all other Parts of ^Ether appear to be attract- 
 ed towards it, and the ^ther contain'd in all other 
 non-ele6trical Bodies, when brought near enough, 
 is obferv'd to efcape, or be attracted into it i there* 
 fore the original TEther contain'd at C, in the Con- 
 necting-wire or Line, reaching from the Coating 
 of the Phial at P, when brought to D, efcapes, or 
 is attracted into it. 
 
 But, at the Inftant the ./Ether is attracted from C 
 into D, the whole remaining Column, quite to the 
 other End at P, of the Connecting- wire or Line 
 C P, inftantly expands, and is coniequently weak- 
 en'd ; thus, the Prop P giving Way, the whole 
 Quantity in the Phial burfts from its State of 
 Confinement and follows it i fo that the End C 
 of the Connecting- wire may be fuppos'd faintly 
 to refemble a feeble Water-iluice, which, by being 
 brought near to D, fails, and the whole Flood con- 
 fequently rufhes forward ; in a fimilar Manner, the 
 JEther in the Wire is conceiv'd to act, and there- 
 fore muft rarify throughout , by which Means P, 
 the feeble Prop, may naturally be expected to fail, 
 particularly as the Comprefiion or Condenfation 
 of the Either in the Phial was fo great as to caufe 
 it to be juft ready to burlt of its own Accord, 
 which it very frequently does, without joining the 
 Circuit at C D ; or, if it will render it more eafy 
 to be conceiv'd by any who may not clearly appre- 
 hend me, 
 
 Let the whole Quantity of condens'd Either in 
 the charged Phial be compar'd to an exceeding 
 flror.g Spring, which, from the moil perfect com- 
 prefs'd State, inftantly flies open and drives all be- 
 fore it ; efpecially through the Channel P C, which 
 is form'd for its PafTage , and thus the Circuit is 
 compleated through the Connecting-wire P C, and 
 through the Leading- wire D E A, to the Part 
 
 where
 
 render d ufeful. '4. 9 
 
 Vrhere this intefline Eruption was firft generated ; 
 that is to fay, to reftore to an Equilibrium the hun- 
 gry Vacuum generated in the Phial, by Means of 
 that violent and fudden Expanfion made at the 
 Burfting of the Fire in it ; which Flafli of Fire we: 
 always behold, if the Infide of it be lin'd as before- 
 directed, inftead of being furnifhed with Filings of 
 Metal ; fiich Reftoration, there is the greateft Rea- 
 fon to believe, never fails of being perform'd ae 
 thelnftant the Circuit is compleated ; viz. at bring- 4 
 ing the Point C, either to the Point D; or elfe to 
 any other Part of the excited Apparatus, which has 
 a Communication with the Point D, fmce we ne- 
 ver fail of Feeling the Effects of it, particularly if 
 our Arms and Bread form any Part of the Circuit. 
 
 And this is obferv'd to be invariably the fame^ 
 whether the Line P C be long or fhort, crook- 
 ed or ftraight ; whether it be compos'd of Metals* 
 Animals, Waters, or green Vegetables -, or whe- 
 ther it be compos'd of fome, or all thefe toge- 
 ther. 
 
 N. B. If what I have faid is not fatis factory, I 
 wifh I was capable of conveying my Meaning iri 
 a more intelligible Manner. 
 
 I have in this Experiment cohfider'd the Con- 
 denfing- phial, as held in the Hand, though the 
 Effect is equally the fame, whether it be took off 
 from the Gun-barrel when excited, as wasfuppos'd 
 above, or whether it remains fufpended on it; 
 
 If the Phial be fufpended on the Gun-barrel or 
 Wires, when the Circuit is form'd, it is not mate- 
 rial whether it be touch'd at the Leading-wire as ber 
 fore -, for (as was obferv'd above) the End C of the 
 Connecting-line may be brought in Contact with 
 the excited Apparatus of Wires, either near the 
 Phial or at any Diilance from it, and it fucceeds 
 equally if it has but a Communication with it. 
 As to the Shocks, they appear to be entirely w- 
 B ing
 
 "Bltftridty render d u 
 
 ing to the Violence of the Motion, when parting 
 through Parts which make the greateft Refinance. 
 
 B- Since you fay, if the End C of the Connect - 
 ing-line be caus'd to compleat the Circuit, though 
 it be not near the Phial, but at any other Part of 
 the excited Apparatus, yet the Effect is the fame ; 
 how then do you know whether a Circulation to 
 thelnfide of the Phial again is compleated or not? 
 
 A. To prove this, and whether a Shock could 
 be given without forming a Circuit, I made the 
 following Experiment. 
 
 Having two Machines in the fame Room, I put 
 them both in Motion, and endeavour'd to produce 
 a Shock by taking Hold of the Connecting-line 
 from the Phial fufpended on one of the Machines, 
 and bringing a linger of my other Hand to the 
 Leading- wire of the Phial which hung on the other 
 Machine : This had not the leaft Effect in produ- 
 cing a Shock, but was in all Refpects the very 
 fame as if I had had no Communication with the 
 Phial on the other Machine. 
 
 That I might not be miflaken, I repeated the 
 Experiment feveral Times. 
 
 Qu#ry. If a Circulation was not perform'd, when 
 a Shock is given, what probable Reafon can be af- 
 lign'd, why no Shock mould be felt in the latter 
 Experiment ? For, notwithftanding, according to 
 the general Law of Fluids, the leifer ought to ef- 
 cape or be attracted into the greater, viz. from 
 the Finger to the Leading-wire of the Phial on the 
 fecond Machine ; yet this we find not fufficient to 
 caufe it to expand, fo as to weaken the electrical 
 Prop, at the lower End P of the Connecting- 
 wire of the Phial fufpended on the firft Machine. 
 
 Does not the Caufe feem manifeftly to be for 
 Want of a proper Communication ? 
 
 At the Breaking forth of the Fire from C to D, 
 in the former Experiment, does not the univerfal 
 
 or
 
 Ele&ricity tetoderd tijefuh 51 
 
 br'original .Either, contained in the whole Connect- 
 ing-line from C to the Prop at P, appear to move 1 
 or expand itfelf, all at once, /'. e. not only at C* 
 but alfo at P, as well as all the intermediate Parts? 
 And, when the Prop gives Way, does not the in- 
 vifible Fire in the Phial that Inftant become vifi- 
 ble, and appear to burft out from its confin'd State 
 in the Phial, and follow it ? And, as fo violent an 
 Expanfion had caus'd fo compleat a Vacuum in 
 the Phial, does not the original j^Ether in the in- 
 ternal Parts of the Leading-wire* hurried on by 
 the Impetuofity of what iffu'd from the Connect- 
 ing-wire^ as inftantaneoufly feem to move on td 
 reltore the Equilibrium ? For^ without all thefe 
 Requifites, neither Circulation is perform'd nor 
 Shock felt, as is evident in the latter Experiment; 
 
 And, though it is not eafy to conceive that all 
 this can be performed in the fame Moment of 
 Time, yet the Effect undeniably proves it to be 
 Fact ; and that not only in fhort Circuits^ but evert 
 when the Connecting-line has been of the greateft 
 Length that could poffibly be form'd \ and^ per- 
 hapsj compos'd, as above$ of Animals^ Metals^ 
 and Waters jointly ; and though Part of the Earth 
 itfelf has been fometimes made a Part of the Cir- 
 cuit. 
 
 But that neither Shock dr Circulation is per- 
 form'd without a Communication of the Parts a$ 
 above, may be farther prov'd, by fufpending the 
 Condehling-phial on the Gun-barrel, grafping it 
 with one Hand, and bringing the other Hand ei- 
 ther to the hooked Leading- wire,- or to any other' 
 Part of the excited Apparatus, and the Shock i3f 
 produced* and cdnfequently the Circulation per- 
 form'd ; but, -if the Phial be lifted off with thg 
 Hand, and the Gun-barrel touch'd with the other 
 Hand, no Shock will be felt j but, touching thg 
 E 9, Hook
 
 $ 2 Ele&ricity render d ufeftd. 
 
 Hook of the Leading- wire, a Shock is received in 
 both Elbows. 
 
 Having had many Thoughts concerning the 
 Manner in which the Circulation and Shock was 
 perform'd, I thought I would try if the Experi- 
 ment could be fo inverted, as that, initead of pro- 
 ducing a Shock by touching the Leading-wire of 
 the Phial, it were touch'd at the Coating of the 
 Phial, when fuipended on the Gun-barrel -, but as 
 this Experiment could not be made, while Handing 
 on the Floor, with the other Hand on the excited 
 Gun-barrel ; becaufe, if it be touch'd by any one 
 Handing on the Floor, it efcapes from the Gun- 
 barrel, directly into the Floor, fo that no Fire or 
 Attraction is to be found (by Experiment the Se- 
 cond) ; I therefore confider'd that the Experiment 
 would be the fame, and anfwer in all Refpects, if 
 I was electris'd in the common Way, by ftanding 
 on the Refin, holding the Condenfmg-phial by the 
 Leading-wire, in one Hand, and, in Order to pro- 
 duce thelShock, touched the Coating of it with the 
 other : This, when it was firft try'd, would by no 
 Means fucceed, but by Accident a Perfon ftand- 
 ing on the Floor took Hold of the Phial ; at which 
 Time I touch'd it again, and receiv'd a ftrong 
 Shock in my Elbows as ufual , but what feem'd 
 yet more furprifing, was, that the Experiment 
 would equally fucceed, though the Hand were 
 taken off again a confiderable Time before I touch'd 
 it. 
 
 This Experiment feems to confirm the other at 
 Page 37, by Acting fo much like it, each one 
 proving that the electrical ./Ether collected in the 
 Phial was not fufficient to produce the Shock, till 
 the Phial had attracted an additional Supply from 
 the Finger ; and that this was furnifh'd from the 
 Earth is quite clear in both Cafes : In the Former, 
 by finding it not ftrong enough to produce the 
 
 Shock
 
 Electricity render d ufefuL 53 
 
 Shock at the firft Putting on of the Hand, and by 
 the Latter, till touch'd alfo by the Perfon ftand- 
 ing on the Floor : And both thefe Experiments, as 
 well as Mr. Rackftrvw's, on his Sulphur-globe, ei- 
 ther feparately or jointly, illuftrate and confirm 
 the Truth of the firft Affertion and capital -Expe- 
 riment, Page 19. 
 
 In a Word, let this Experiment be diverfify'd 
 and^alter'd into ever fo many different Shapes , yet, 
 ftill, the greateft and molt wonderful Attraction 
 imaginable appears to be not only towards the 
 glafs Globe in Motion, but towards the Condenf- 
 ing-phial alfo, in whole Pores this powerful Prin- 
 ciple feems fo fix'd, and cohering fo firmly with 
 the .electrical ^ther. 
 
 N. B, The Way and Courfe it fleers in this Ex- 
 periment 1 have taken the more Pains to difcover, 
 as it may be neceffary to be known, when treating 
 of bodily Diforders. 
 
 The Knowledge, alfo, of the Courfe which the 
 electrical Either takes, when convey'd on the Ap- 
 paratus and touch'd by a Non-electric, may for the 
 fame Reafon appear neceffary to be known. 
 
 B. But I am not yet fully fatisfy'd concerning 
 the Courfe and Direction of the violent Motion ; 
 whether from the Connecting- wire to the Leading- 
 wire ; or whether from the Leading- wire to the 
 Connecting- wire, that is, whether from the Fin- 
 ger of the Perfon who holds the Connecting-line, 
 and fo to the Phial , or whether from the Phial 
 into the Finger, and from thence into the Earth ; 
 particularly as we find in it fo ftrong an Inclina- 
 tion to return thither. 
 
 A. Notwithftanding its great Tendency to return 
 into the Earth, this will by no Means be found 
 equal to that of compleating a Circuit, in which 
 Experiment, that Tendency is fo remarkable, as' 
 even to pafs through a Part of the Earth, and out 
 E 3 of
 
 54 Ele&rtcify render'^ ufeful 
 
 pf it again, in Order to arrive at the Phial where 
 the Motion was generated *, to reftore the Equi- 
 librium. 
 
 Another Reafon for Believing that the Attrac- 
 tion is from the Finger or Connecting-line towards 
 the Leading-wire, is, that, when the electrical Ei- 
 ther is convey'd to the human Maladies, with fuch 
 3. Suppofition of its Motion, no bad Accident has 
 ever been obferv'd to happen, but of this farther on. 
 
 N. B. This laft Reafon I mention, on no other 
 Account than becaufe fome who are no Friends to 
 the Method of electrical Treatment of bodily Dif- 
 orders, have endeavour'd to perfuade the World, 
 that the morbific Matter, which, before, was only 
 lodg'd at a fuperficial Part, was by thofe electrical 
 Operations forc'd inwardly on the more noble 
 Parts ; which muft be very unlikely, if the Mo- 
 tion of the electrical ./Ether be outwardly. 
 
 Another Experiment, which points out the ex- 
 ceeding Elafticity of the electrical JEther, is the 
 following : 
 
 When the Operation is perform'd of fimply elec- 
 trifing a Perfon on the Refin, and drawing off 
 Sparks at the fame Time with a large Wire of 
 fmall iron Rod : At the Inftant the Perfon is 
 touch'd, it is not only felt like a Pulfe under the 
 Finger, when laid on any other Part of the Per- 
 fon fo elcctris'd ; but if feveral Perfons ftand in a 
 Row, or in any irregular Form , and the firft lay 
 a Finger on the Face or the Back of the Hand of 
 the Second, the Second lay a Finger on the Face 
 or Back of the Hand of the Third, the Third in 
 Jike Manner on the Fourth, &c. when the Firft 
 brings the iron Rod in the Hand at Liberty to, 
 
 * See Mr Wathni* Treat'fe on large Circuits, Page 54. 
 
 the
 
 Ek&rifity render d ufeful. 55 
 
 the Flefh of the Perfon electris'd on the Refin ; at 
 the Burfling of the Fire from the electris'd Perlbn 
 to the iron Rod, every Perfon, at the Part in Con- 
 tad:, feels a Pulfation , this is equally the fame at 
 any Part of the Body , and when it ads vigoroufly, 
 and the Room is darken'd, the Fire is vifible 
 where the Pulfation is felt, viz, at the Motion of 
 the JEthtr when paffing through Air out of the 
 Finger, of the one into the Hand, &c. of the other, 
 particularly when they touch but very lightly ; this 
 I have obferv'd in the Day-time, even when I have 
 been at the Diftance of two or three Perfons from 
 him who touch'd die electris'd Perfon : So that the 
 /Ether plainly difcovers itfelf to be Fire, by the 
 leafl Agitation, viz. by PafTing fwiftly through 
 the fmalleft Space of Air, out of one denfe Body 
 into another; this will always be found the Cafe, 
 when its acts flrong, and when carefully view'd *. 
 But, as each Perfon flood on the Floor, it feem'd 
 to lofe a Part of its Virtue by Efcaping into the 
 Earth ; for at the firft Perfon it was ftronger than 
 at the Second, and at the Second than at the Third, 
 &c. but, if all had flood on Cake.s of Refin, except 
 the laflof all, it would have been equally the fame 
 throughout the whole Length, though ever fo 
 great. 
 
 The Motion of the /Ether in this Experiment 
 feems widely different from the Motion of the Es- 
 ther in the foregoing Experiment, for in this the 
 fame Motion may be obferv'd, to be alike continu'd 
 in all Parts of the Body or Bodies , but in the 
 other, that is, when the Shock is given, it appears 
 to act the mofl vigoroufly in a direct Line, as, 
 
 * The Visibility of the Fire, in this Experiment, and in all 
 others, feems to be occafion'd by its Pafling fo fwiftly through 
 the Air "into the next denfe non-eledrical Body, that fo it may 
 arrive at the Earth, or elfe to the Phial. 
 
 E 4 (where
 
 56 Electricity render d ufefuL 
 
 (where it is not by the Air, or otherwife hinder'd) 
 when pafling through Waters, &c. to or from, 
 the Condenfing-phial ; for then the violent Mor 
 tion feems to be propagated rather in a Column, 
 from and to the Phial. 
 
 N. B. Sometimes, when the Air is mojft, this 
 * laft mention'd Experiment will not eafily fucceed; 
 but as I have two Machines in the fame Room, 
 one of which is furnifh'd with two Globes, it is 
 very feldom but I can procure as much of the Fire 
 s is fufficjent for any Experiment. 
 
 B. But how can you be ib vain as to imagine 
 you have made a plainer Difcovery, not only of the 
 Source or main Spring from whence the electrical 
 ./Ether is deriv'd, and where it returns, but alfoof 
 its Motion and the Courfe it fteers, than any other ? 
 Pray what have you done in this more than Mr. 
 IVatfon ? Has not he long ago, by a great Number 
 pf Experiments, prov'd that this fubtil Medium 
 is produc'd out of the Earth, and as plainly fliewn 
 the different Ways and Manner wherein it may be 
 pbferved to pafs from the Earth to the Machine , 
 'which may be fee/i at large in his Sequel, at the 
 47th and feveral of the following Experiments ? 
 You feem, indeed, to differ with him in your Ima- 
 gining that his Electricity never pafTes out of the 
 Earth directly to the Gun-barrel or Wires, but 
 from the Earth to the prime eledtrical Globe or 
 Tube only j whereas he hath plainly fhewn, in va- 
 rious Cafes, that the Motion, or the Courfe it takes > 
 is as diredlly from the Earth, or Finger, to the 
 Gun- barrel and Wires likewife. 
 
 A. I hope that ingenious Gentleman will excufe 
 me for differing with him in Opinion, particularly 
 when I have given my Reafons for it : As to his 
 Opinion that the ^Ether is furnifhed from the Earth 
 fp the revolvin Globe, this is fo obvious as net
 
 render d ufeful. 57 
 
 ' to be deny'd ; and my firft Experiment exactly 
 agrees with thofe he has produc'd to prove it. 
 
 But that its Tendency is alfo from the Earth, or 
 other unexcited Non-electric, directly towards the 
 excited Gun -barrel, or Apparatus of Wires, &c. 
 mud feem a Contradiction, and is accordingly as 
 plainly contradicted by my fecond Experiment, 
 which constantly and invariably mews the Courfe 
 of its Motion to be determin'd from the excited 
 Non-electrics the neareft Way, thro' the firft denfe 
 unexcited Non-electric in Contact with it, into the 
 Earth from whence it came, as fwift as Light ; but 
 if no unexcited Non-electric in Contact with the 
 Earth comes near the excited Gun-barrel or Wires, 
 it is then, after it has feemingly cling'd as long to 
 them as it can, forcibly driven oil, particularly at 
 their Extremities, into the Air j but into which it 
 will never pafs, if it can find any Canal whereby 
 it may efcape into the. Earth ; and, that this can be 
 no Deception, we are well aiTur'd by its Invaria- 
 blenefs : And this Experiment is likewife fo eafily 
 made as to be in the Power of almoft any one, 
 who comes near an electrical Machine, to prove it. 
 
 As for the feveral Experiments you mention, 
 they are far from proving the Contrary ; I mall 
 therefore atttempt to difcover wherein the Fallacy 
 lies. 
 
 In his Sequel, from Experiment forty-fourth or 
 forty-fifth to Experiment fifty-fecond, he has taken 
 Notice of many remarkable Circumftances, which 
 were difcover'd, while the Machine was mounted 
 pn original Electrics ; moft of which, indeed, 
 plainly prove the Current of ./Ether to be deter- 
 min'd by the mighty Attraction at the glafs Globe 
 excited by the violent Attrition of the Hand, &c. 
 but he thinks they plainly difcover that the Cur- 
 rent of ./Ether is directly from the Earth to the 
 Gun- barrel or ^Vires, in thefe and all other Cafes, 
 
 equally ;
 
 5 8 JLle&ricity render d ufeful. 
 
 equally , and tells us at Experiment fifty-fecond, 
 *' If, when the Machine is mounted on original 
 <c Electrics, any one, while {landing on the Floor 
 ct brings a Finger, but efpecially a pointed iron 
 " Rod, near the Gun -barrel, or even to the iron 
 " Axis of the Wheel, it may be plainly difcover'd 
 <c to iffue from the Point of the Rod (viz. when 
 " the Room is darken'd) in diverging Rays, to- 
 " wards the Gun-barrel, &V." 
 
 This he conceives to be a plain Proof that the 
 Tendency is always equally from the Earth to the 
 excited non- electrical Apparatus, as from the 
 Earth to the excited prime electrical glafs Globe. 
 
 But as never any Thing like this will be obferv'd, 
 except the Machine is plac'd on original Electrics i 
 a little Confideration will be fufficient to point out 
 the Deception : For, while the whole Machine is 
 fupported by original Electrics, the Gun-barrel, or 
 Bofs at the End of it, which at all other Times 
 receives the ^Ether from the prime electrical glafs 
 Globe only, is by this Means become the Inftru- 
 ment of Friction ; or, at leaft, acts the fame Part, 
 by fupplying or furniming the Globe with ^ther ; 
 which Supply is furnifh'd from the Earth, as be- 
 fore, though more indirectly, viz. through the 
 Perfon on the Floor, who holds the pointed Rod 
 near the Gun-barrel or iron Axis of the Wheel, 
 &c. for as the Perfon with his Hand on the Glafs, 
 in this Experiment, is alfo fupported with original 
 Electrics, and for that Reafon is incapable of fur- 
 niming a Supply as in the common Experiments 
 (for all that he now feems capable of, is, by the 
 Attrition of his Hand, to put the Globe into a 
 State of Attraction) the faid Supply muft necefTa- 
 rily be furnifh'd from the tinfel Bofs at the End of 
 the Gun-barrel, in Contact with the revolving 
 Globe ; the Bofs fupply'd from the Gun-barrel, 
 the Gun-barrel from the pointed Wire abovemen- 
 
 tion'dj
 
 render d ufefuL 59 
 
 tion'd, the pointed Wire from the Perfon who 
 .holds it, and the Perfon fupply'd from the Earth: 
 So that in this Experiment, although the Gun- 
 barrel, or rather the Bofs, feems to ad the Part of 
 the Inftrument of Friction ; yet the Surplufage ap- 
 pears to be return'd again from the Globe to the 
 Gun-barrel, becaufe it will then act again, he tells 
 us, as in the common Experiments, when the Ma- 
 chine is not thus fupported with original Electrics. 
 
 The next Experiments he produces to prove 
 it *, are the 58th and 59th, where, by the Power 
 of Electricity, a filver Leaf is fufpended between 
 two Plates, when the Uppermoft is electrify'd, the 
 other not : <s This he oblerves rnuft necefiarily be 
 " effected by two oppofite Motions, for he fays no 
 " Body can be fufpended in TEquilibrio, but by 
 " the joint Action of two different Directions of 
 Power : So here the Blaft of electrical ^ther 
 " from the excited Plate blows the filver Leaf 
 " towards the unexcited Plate ; thislaft, in its Turn, 
 " by the Blaft of electrical Either from the Floor 
 tc fetting through it, drives the Silver towards the 
 ** Plate electrify'd ; and adds, We find from hence 
 *' likewife, that the Draught of electrical ^Ether 
 " is always in Proportion to the Quantity thrown 
 *' by the Globe over the Gun-barrel ; or the E- 
 " quilibrium by which the Silver is fulpended, 
 *' could not be maintain'd." And fays, 
 
 tc Now I conceive that the Space occupied by 
 *' the Leaf of Silver, is that, where the Equili- 
 " brium of the electrical Either is reftor'd ; be- 
 * caufe, if you take away the under Plate, through 
 " which, from the Floor, the Flux of this ./Ether 
 " is furnifh'd ; or if that Plate be placed on an 
 " original Electric, by which this Flux is likewife 
 
 * Here the Machine is fuppos'd not to be mounted on ori- 
 ginal Eledrics as before. 
 
 prevented,
 
 60 Ekftricity render d ufefuL 
 
 <c prevented, the filver Leaf will be blown away. 5 * 
 But, 
 
 If this were fo, and whenever an unexcited Non- 
 electric was brought near an excited Non-electric, 
 nothing more was performed than the Reftoring the 
 Equilibrium j how comes it to pafs that, when 
 this unexcited is brought near the excited Body, fo 
 very little Fire or Attraction is to be found through- 
 out the whole Apparatus of the Gun-barrel and 
 Wires ? Particularly as this feems always in exact 
 Proportion to theNearnefs of the excited and non- 
 excited Bodies, infomuch that, when they are 
 brought in Contact, not the leaft Fire or Attrac- 
 tion is to be perceiv'd on any Part of the Appara- 
 tus. Qutfry. Does not my fecond Experiment plain- 
 ly prove it to be all the Time making its Efcape 
 into the Earth ? But 
 
 He takes Notice that it may perhaps be reply 'd, 
 
 " That the fufpended Silver may only ferve as 
 " a Canal of Communication, which difcharges 
 " the Electricity from the excited Non-electric to 
 " the unexcited ; and that when an originally E- 
 " lectric is placed between the lower Plate, in this 
 ** Experiment, and the Floor of the Room , that 
 ** then the filver Leaf is attracted only, until the 
 *' lower Plate is faturated with Electricity, and no 
 " longer". Then he adds, 
 
 " This is as much as Saying, that this Effect 
 <c arifes from Electricity, without mentioning in 
 " what Manner." 
 
 I anfwer, Pie has fuppos'd that which appears 
 to be the only true Manner whereby it is effected; 
 therefore, no other fatisfactory Reply can pofTibly 
 be given. 
 
 B. But his 6oth Experiment feems to prove it fo 
 undeniably to pafs from the unexcited towards 
 the excited Non-electric Body, that I beg Leave to 
 relate the Whole. 
 
 , " When the Silver liesftill (though the Motion 
 
 "of
 
 render d ufeful, 6i 
 
 " of the Globe is continu'dj between the two Plates, 
 *' one fufpended to the Gun-barrel, and the other 
 tc placed upon an electrical Cake -, a Perfonftand- 
 " ing upon the Floor needs only bring a fmall 
 <c glafs Syphon, in a Veffel of Water, and apply 
 " the long Leg thereof near the Plate plac'd upon 
 " the Wax : For, upon this, the Silver is imme- 
 " diately fufpended , and the Water, which be- 
 " fore only dropp'd, now runs in a full Stream, 
 " and Appears luminous. Does not, in this Cafe, 
 " the Current of the Water point out the Direc- 
 " tion of the Current of electrical JEther ?" 
 
 A. I anfwer, no, for the capillary Syphon in this 
 Experiment ads either Way, juft as it happens to 
 be, either the excited or unex cited Body ; in the 
 fame Manner as when we fire Spirits of Wine, 
 which, if they are electrify'd, are kindled into a 
 Flame, by bringing an unexcited Non-electric near 
 them ; or elfe, when they are not electrify'd, are 
 as effectually kindled by the Finger of an electrify'd 
 Perfon, 
 
 Thus, in the Experiment of the Syphon, when 
 unexcited, as in his abovemention'd Experiment the 
 Current was from the unexcited Hand which held 
 it towards the excited Plate ; yet, if the Syphon be 
 plac'd on the Gun-barrel, and electrify'd, the Cur- 
 rent of the Water will then be found to be towards 
 an unexcited Finger, when brought near it. And 
 
 Whereas you feem'd inclin'd to believe that my 
 Attempt, in this Eflay, had not thrown the leaft 
 Light oh Electricity, as I might find by examining 
 Mr. Watfoit* Sequel ; I can't help observing that 
 there is not in that Tract, or any other, I ever faw, 
 the leaft Mention made oftheReafonsorCaufes of 
 two fuch different Qualities among natural Bo- 
 dies, namely, thofe term'd Electrics and Non-elec- 
 
 * It is far from an abfolute Proof in other Cafes. 
 
 tries j
 
 62 SJf&rictty render d ufefuL 
 
 tries ; which Caufe, if I have mifs'd in original 
 Electrics, I mall be very glad to find a more ratio- 
 nal Account appear. 
 
 As to Non-electricals, the Experiments are fo 
 very clear, that the Way and Manner whereby the 
 Phenomena are exhibited, cannot eafily be mif- 
 taken : Again, as for our different Ways of ex- 
 plaining and accounting for the violent Shock 
 given to the Parts of Animal Bodies, I mall not 
 prefume to determine concerning them, but mall 
 leave them to the judicious Reader to determine, 
 whether his Method or mine appears the cooft 
 plaufible ; for which Realbn, and that they may 
 be the more readily compar'd, I take the Liberty 
 to tranfcribe his Method of explaining it. 
 
 Sequel^ Experiment 64th. " It remains now, that 
 " I endeavour to lay before you a Solution, why 
 " our Bodies are fo fhock'd in the Experiments 
 " with the eleclrify'd Water, 6JV. fcfc. &c. 
 
 " When the Phial of Water held in one Hand 
 " of a Man is highly electrify'd, and he touches 
 " the Gun-barrel with a Finger of his other -, upon 
 *' the Explofion which arifes herefrom, this Man 
 " inftantaneoufly parts with as much of the Fire 
 " from his Body, as was accumulated in the Wa- 
 " ter and Gun-barrel, and he feels the Effects in 
 <f both Arms ; from the Fire of his Body naming 
 <l through one Arm to the Gun-barrel, and from 
 " the other to the Phial." 
 
 N. B. Thefe Animadverfions on Mr. tjfatfo*** 
 Sequel had never been made, had not fome of the 
 very fame Objections been offer'd to my Manu- 
 fcript, and the very fame Eflay of Mr. IVatforfs 
 mention'd in Oppofition to mine. 
 
 I have an ingenious Friend, who is an Operator 
 
 in Electricity, and who, though he differs with 
 
 Mr. IVatfon in his Manner of explaining the Shock, 
 
 particularly when he affirms that the Fire from the 
 
 z Body
 
 Ele&ricity render d ufeful. 63 
 
 Body rumes through one Arm to the Gun-barrel, 
 and through the other Arm to the Phial ; yet, in 
 my humble Opinion, is guilty of an Error equal to 
 the former, though juft the reverfe, he imagining 
 the Fire to rufhfrom the Gun-barrel up one Arm, 
 and from the Phial up the other Arm to the Body, 
 when the Shock is given. 
 
 Firft, If either of thefe Hypothefes are juft, how 
 comes it to pafs that the Fire breaks forth in fuch 
 Abundance in the irnalleft Circuits, and in fuch 
 Miniature in Mr. Watforfs large Circuits ? And, 
 
 Secondly ', How was the Fire lent from the north 
 to the fouth End of Weftminfter-bridge^ in Mr. 
 JVatfotfs Experiment ? And at what Point, on the 
 north Side, did it begin to run over to the fouth 
 Side ? Whether juft in the Middle- way ; or whe- 
 ther juft at the Water-fide, through the great Wa- 
 ters, and, at the fame Time, through the (lender. 
 Wires, through both, from North to South ? 
 
 Thirdly, In Mr. Watforfs large Circuit, at Sboo- 
 ter's-hiHi which were fometimes compos'd of Ani- 
 mals, Metals, Waters, and Earth jointly : 
 
 .Wry, At what Part of the Circuit, muft it be- 
 gin to rum both Ways through the Circuit to wards 
 the Machine ; whether at one of thofe particular 
 Parts, or whether juft in the Middle of the Cir- 
 cuit? And, 
 
 Laftly, Why the rapid Motion 'of the Either is 
 expected to begin fo far from the Machine, rather 
 than at the Infide of the Phial, where fuch a Va- 
 cuum was generated, by Means of that violent and 
 fudden Expanlion, occafion'd by the Burfting of 
 the Fire in the Phial ? 
 
 And, doubtlefs, many like Difficulties muft prefs 
 equally hard in my worthy Friend's Hypothefis, 
 which accounts for that violent Motion and Direc- 
 tion of the Fire, juft the contrary Way. 
 
 As there is no Doubt, but both thofe very inge- 
 nious
 
 64 JLlcftrlclty render d ufefut. 
 
 nious Gentlemen are fincere, and that their only 
 Aim is to difcover the Truth ; fo I can by no 
 Means imagine, that either of them will be dif- 
 pleas'd at any juft Objection that can be brought 
 againft their Hypothefes , becaufe, if Objections 
 were not allow'd in all Difputes, and afterwards, in 
 a cool Manner, to confider the Objections tho- 
 roughly, and debate the fame deliberately ; then, 
 farewel to all future Improvement in every Art, 
 and, particularly, in whatever appears any Way 
 myfterious. And, 
 
 As to my own Part, I folefnnly declare, I have 
 no other View in Making any Objection, than to 
 difcover, if poffible, the very Truth in this impor- 
 tant Subject : And, 
 
 Therefore, if I am miftaken, and confequently 
 my Hypothefis wrong, I mall be heartily glad to 
 be corrected, by a more rational Scheme* 
 
 DIALOGUE III. 
 
 . T S this astherial Medium neceflary to the ani- 
 X mal GEconomy ? 
 
 A. Yes, fo abfolutely neceflary, that, without 
 it, every Animal would very foon expire. 
 
 Though God alone is the Author and Preferver 
 of all Things, and which he continually upholds 
 with his immediate Hand ; yet, the only inftru- 
 mental Caufe of our Being is this fubtil Spirit, or 
 celeftial Fire, which in its natural State is doubt- 
 lefs too much for us in our prefent Exiftence ; for 
 which Reafon, the all-wife and moft beneficent 
 Father of Nature has provided, for our Safety, 
 the circumambient Atmofphere, to temper and 
 bring it down to us in fuch a Manner as is moil 
 convenient for us, as well as all other earthly Be- 
 ings, animate and inanimate. 
 
 This Fire, fo temper'd, fitted, and adapted, is 
 2 the
 
 Electricity render d ufefuL 6$ 
 
 the Caufe of all the neceflary Circulations in Bo- 
 dies : The immediate .Agent and Inftrument in all 
 fcarthly Things. 
 
 In a Word, the pure ^F.ther or Fire, contained 5ft 
 Air, is the Caufe of all Motion, animal, and ve 
 getable. 
 
 This is the Opinion not only of the Ancients, 
 but of many modern Chymifts, as well as many 
 other eminent Philofophers. 
 
 The learned Bifhop Btrkefyi in his Siri's* fpeak- 
 ing of Air, reafons thus : 
 
 " That there is fome latent vivifying Spirit dif- 
 " pers'd throughout the Air, common Experience 
 *' fheweth \ inafmuch as it is necefiary both to Ve>- 
 kc getables and Animals, whether terreftrial or 
 <c aquatic : Neither Beads, Infects, Birds, nor 
 *' Fifties, being able to fubfift without Air> nor 
 " doth all Air fuffice -, there being fome Quality 
 xt or Ingredient, of which when Air is depriv'd, it 
 " becometh unfit to maintain either Life or Flame* 
 ** And this, even though the Air fliould retain its 
 114 Elafticity , which, by the Bye^ is an Argument 
 " that Air doth not act only as an Antagonift to the 
 *' intercoftal Mufcles. 
 
 " It hath both that, and many other Ufes. It 
 xt gives and preferves a proper Tone to the Veflels 
 *' This elaftic Fluid promotes all Secretions , its 
 *' Ofcillaiions keep every Part in Motion ; it per* 
 rt vades and actuates the whole animal Syftem^ 
 " producing great Variety of Effects, and even 
 * x oppoMte in different Parts , cooling at the fame 
 xt Time ad heating, di-ftending and contracting, 
 " coagulating and refolving^ giving and taking, 
 rc fuftaining Life and impairing it, prefling with- 
 * c out and expanding within, abrading fome 
 fl Parts, at the fame Time infinuating others, pro- 
 " ducing various Vibrations in the Fibres, and 
 ** Fernreftts m the Fluids , all which muft needs 
 F *' enfue
 
 66 Ele&rkity render d uftful. 
 
 <l enfue from fuch a fubtil, active, heterogeneous) 
 " and elaftic Fluid." Siris, Seftion 143. 
 
 That this Fire or ./Ether is the Caufe of animal 
 Motion, Sir Ifaac Newton feems to think, is paft 
 Difpute, as well as many other Things, which he 
 affects to put as Queries. Thus, 
 
 " Is not animal Motion perform'd by the Vi- 
 " brations of this Medium, excited in the Brain 
 " by the Power of the Will, and propagated from 
 " thence through the folid, pellucid, and uniform 
 <c Capillamenta of the Nerves into the Mufcles, 
 " for Contracting and Dilating them ? I fuppofe, 
 " that the Capillamenta of the Nerves are each of 
 * e them folid and uniform, that the vibrating Mo- 
 < tion of the astherial Medium may be propagated 
 " along them, from one End to the other unirorm- 
 <c ly, and without Interruption : For Obftructions 
 " in the Nerves create Palfies." Optics, Qu<cry 24. 
 
 Which, by the Bye, was Spinning it out to a 
 great Length ; for, although he had many Times 
 view'dthis, his fubtil Medium, under the Hand, in 
 electrical Experiments -, yet might he, not very 
 improperly, be faid, never to have feen it, becaufe 
 he did not apprehend it to be fuch , therefore to 
 carry it fo far, as to imagine it the Caufe of ani- 
 mal Motion, muft mew an exceeding penetrating 
 Genius ; and, though many are now of that Opi- 
 nion, yet they can't think it Working fo much in 
 the Dark, becaufe they are now fure , there is fuch 
 a powerful fubtil Medium exifting. 
 
 B. Why do you think it has a Power fufficient, 
 as well as a Tendency to communicate Activity 
 and Motion to Fluids in general ? 
 
 A- Not only from the foregoing Reafoning, and 
 that of many confiderable Authors, but as it is 
 confirm'd by various Experiments in Electricity , 
 fuch as the capillary Syphon, where, from drop- 
 ping gently before it is electris'd, it will afterwards 
 
 flow
 
 ILleffricity render d t/ftfuL 67 
 
 flow in a Stream : Likewife the Droppings from 
 a Spunge full of Water, which, when eledris'd, are 
 much accelerated ; with many others. 
 
 B. Is there any particular Experiment in Elec- 
 tricity, which proves it to accelerate the Motion of 
 the Blood in a human Body ? . - 
 
 A. Yes, one in particular, which feems to put 
 it pail Difpute ; it is an Experiment mention'd by 
 Mr. Rack/irow, in his EfTay, who fays, If a Per- 
 fon is electris'd Handing on a Cake of Refin, the 
 Number of Pulfes will be increas'd two, three, or 
 four, in Half a Minute ; this furprifing Account 
 of it, I own, I could hardly credit, for which Rea- 
 fon I was determined to prove it on myfelf ; this I 
 did by firft counting the Number of my Pulfes in. 
 Half a Minute, feveral Times, when ftanding on 
 the Floor, and wrote them down in the Window. 
 That the Experiment might be made as accu- 
 rately as poffible, I kept at a due Diftance from 
 the Clock, fo as not to be difturb'd in my Reckon- 
 ing by hearing the Vibrations of the Pendulum : 
 Then, (landing on the electrical Cake, the Perfon 
 at the Clock gave me Notice, by naming the firft 
 Vibration, loud enough for me to hear ; and alfo 
 the lad : This Method of knowing the Time of 
 only the firfl and laft Vibration left no Room for 
 Miftake, particularly as I repeated the Experiment 
 feveral Times, which I found to anfvver fo truly 
 to his Account of it, that it left as little Room for 
 Doubt ; his whole Paragraph is as follows : 
 
 " The Circulation is increas'd by a Perfon only 
 
 ' Handing upon a Cake of Refm, and fo eleftri- 
 
 1 fy'd ; and the Effects are fo moderate, that they 
 
 ' only ferve to chear and raife the animal Spirits ; 
 
 4 for, when it acts the flrongeft, it will increafe the 
 
 ' Number of Pulfes three or four in Haifa Mi- 
 
 ' nute, and, when weak, about two -, and even 
 
 " that, as I apprehend, may prove of very great 
 
 F 2 " Ser-
 
 68 Electricity render d ufefuL 
 
 " Service j but what tends to the greatefl Good, 
 " are the Shocks given moderately, and with fomc 
 " Judgment j and I am well affur'd, that it will 
 *' remove many Obftructions, and be of great Ufe 
 " in paralytic Cafes ; it helps Digeftion, quickens 
 " the Circulation of the Blood, provokes Urine, 
 " and caufes a freer Refpiration and Perfpiration. 
 * All thefe I have often obferv'd, and doubt not 
 *' but that many other Things, beneficial to Man, 
 " may farther be difcover'd , fuch as may help in 
 " Colic, iliac Pains, Spafms, Convulfions, Apo- 
 " plexies, hyfteric, rheumatic, and arthritic Dif- 
 " orders." Mr. Rack/brew's Eflay\ p. 2. 
 
 For my own Part, I am thoroughly convinc'd 
 that, as a greater or lefs Quantity of this Fire is 
 convey'd into the L>ungs, the Motion of the Blood 
 is thereby either accelerated or retarded. 
 
 B. Though you feem to make it very plain, 
 don't you think you may pofllbly be miflaken ? 
 
 A. Yes, moft certainly very poflibly, but what 
 makes it probable that I am not, is^, that as the 
 above Experiment clearly proves the one Part to be 
 Fact, viz. of a greater Quantity , fo the other 
 Part is as clearly proved, by obferving, that, when- 
 ever we attempt to breathe the fame Air over and 
 over again, it will by no Means ferve for the fame 
 Purpofe ; nor is it only unfit to preferve Life, buc 
 even common Flame, as above. 
 
 That it is unfit to preferve Life, feems abun- 
 dantly confirm'd, "by obferving the Mortality fo 
 frequently found in Dungeons, and on Shipboard, 
 particularly the latter, efpecially in long Voyages ; 
 and, the more fo, the greater the Number of Men, 
 who are crowded under Hatches, where they are 
 obliged to breathe the fame vitiated Air again and 
 again ; this, together with their fait Provifion, 
 feems greatly to increafe the Mortality, which is 
 found to lefien, when they come to Land, particu- 
 larly
 
 EkSlricity render d ufiful. 69 
 
 larly if they are not oblig'd to lodge in the Ship ; 
 what yet more confirms the Truth of it, is, that, 
 where Ventilators have been made Ufe of to convey 
 frefh Air to their under Decks, thofe bad Effects 
 feem to vaniiri. 
 
 The Gaol-Diftemper, as it is calPd, feems like- 
 wife to be the bad Effects of the fame vitiated Air-, 
 and, doubtlefs, the whole Caufe of all this great 
 Mortality is from their Breathing fo much lefs 
 Fire or ^Ether than what is contain'd in common 
 Air. 
 
 And, akho* the Heart is indeed commonly fup- 
 pos'd to be the principal Seat of all that Motion 
 ib abfolutely neceffary to fuftain animal Life, yet, 
 on Examination, it will appear reafonable to be- 
 lieve, that the Organs of Refpiration may rather 
 claim the Office of Primum Mobile-, for, if we 
 trace the Subject back to its Original, we need but 
 confider, that, during the Time of Geftation, 
 when the Foetus in the Womb is to be confider'd 
 as a temporary Appendage only, engrafted on the 
 Parent's Body, and its Nourifliment and Growth 
 fcarce refembling an Animal more than a Vege- 
 table , the Circulation, when in that State, being 
 perform'd, to and from it, by the Parent's Lungs 
 and Heart, in the fame Manner as it is, to and 
 from the leveral Parts of her own Body ; but, at 
 the Time of the Birth, when the fame Means of 
 Circulation is at an End, there evidently appears 
 ibmething wanting ; fomething, abfolutely necef- 
 fary to continue the Circulation, which the Heart 
 alone can, by no Means, accomplish , nor can it 
 yet act as an Animal, till this fluid Fire, this vivi- 
 fying Spirit, contain'd in Air, has found Admit- 
 tance into the Lungs, and from thence communi- 
 cated Activity to the languid Motion of the Blood ; 
 for, till then, the new-born Babe continues in a 
 Kind of lifclefs Condition, but, after this Engine 
 F 3 is
 
 jo Eleffricity render d ufeful. 
 
 is once in Motion, the increas'd Motion of the 
 Heart immediately follows, Life is produc'd, and 
 the whole animated Machine continues to live, fo 
 long as thefe two Engines continue in joint Mo- 
 tion, to maintain a perpetual Round of Blood and 
 Fire , but, when once the Motion of either of 
 them is ftopp'd, the Motion of the other, depend- 
 ing on it, will loon ceafe likewife, and the Animal 
 inltantly expires. 
 
 And, tho' many Children are actually born dead, 
 yet many others, which are quite given over as 
 fuch, might very probably be recover'd, and many 
 valuable Lives fav'd, if timely Help could be ad- 
 mimfter'd -, particularly, if it were pofllble to form 
 an inftrument fo fitly adapted to the Mouth of the 
 Ci.i.u, as that the Air, the Noftrils being clos'd, 
 rr.ight be that Way convey'd into the Trachea, by 
 Ventilation, which would, in all Probability, re- 
 cover it ; I mean, while any moderate Degree of 
 the Circulation is remaining. 
 
 What induc'd me to meddle with any Thing fo 
 far out of my Province, was, not only being led 
 to it by the Nature of the Subject, but what I 
 once heard arfirm'd by a Midwife, which was, that 
 fhe had many Times recover'd a Child which was, 
 in Appearance, dead, by forcing in her Breath at 
 the Mouth of it ; which, if poflible to be perform'd, 
 by forcing the vitiated Air out of her own Lungs 
 into the Child's, then how much rather might the 
 Experiment fucceed, if perform'd by the above 
 Method, with frefh Air endu'd with all its active 
 and enlivening Qualities ? 
 
 Mr. Martin likewife, in his Effay on Eleftricity^ 
 feems firmly perfuaded, that the electrical Matter 
 will, in Time, be found very beneficial to the 
 animal CEconomy -, and fays, " Moreover we 
 " know it has a considerable Influence on fluid 
 44 Subftances : A glaring Inftance is that of the 
 
 " Syphon
 
 EJccirictty render d ufeful. j I 
 
 " Syphon and Sponge -, by which it appears, that 
 " Fluids in Motion have their Motions greatly 
 " accelerated by the electric Virtue : Thus, if a 
 " Vein be open'd in a Perfon electrify 'd, the ef- 
 " fluent Blood will project to a much greater Dii- 
 ** tance than it would otherwife do : And is not 
 " this a promifmg Indication of fome great Ufe, 
 *' that may be one Time or other deriv'd to the 
 " animal GEconomy from Electricity ?" 
 
 He'likewife informs us, that, if an Attempt be 
 made to elqctrife a Perfon when ill with the Small- 
 Pox, it proves of no Effect. 
 
 B. It mould feem natural then, from what you 
 have been pleading for, that if a Perfon juft ftran- 
 gled, fuffocated, or by any other Means had fuf- 
 ter'd a Collapfion of the Lungs, fo as to be in Ap- 
 pearance dead ; if a Pair of your Ventilators could 
 be readily apply'd, he might be recover'd. 
 
 A. That many who die fuddenly might be re- 
 cover'd, if the above Method were as practicable 
 as it appears to be, and were timely apply'd ; and 
 alib that there is a mod afton idling enlivening 
 active Quality in the jttheriaj Spirit contain'd in 
 Air, on which Life immediately depends -, feems 
 abundantly confirm'd by the three following Ex- 
 periments, mention'd by Mr. Derbam, in his Phyf. 
 T'beol. under the Article Refpiratic-n. 
 
 The Firft of which is an ingenious tho' cruel 
 Experiment, of the renown'd Dr. Hook^ before 
 the Royal Society ; who cut away the Ribs, Dia- 
 phragm, and Pericardium of a Dog , alfo the Top 
 of the Wind-pipe, that he might tie it on to the 
 Nofe of a Pair of Bellows , and, by Blowing into 
 the Lungs, he reftor'd the Dog to Life ; and, then 
 ceafing Blowing, the Dog would foon fall into 
 dying Fits, but by Blowing again he recover'd ; 
 and fo alternately would die and recover for a 
 confiderable Time, as long and often as they 
 F 4 chofe
 
 J2, Ektfricity render d ufeful. 
 
 chofe to repeat the Experiment. Philof. 
 N 28. 
 
 Another Experiment of this Sort was made by 
 Dr. Walter Needbam, before Mr. Boyle and others, 
 at 0-xford \ who hang'd a Dog, fo that the Heart 
 ceas'd Moving, but haftily opening him, and by 
 blowing Wind into his Lungs, put the Blood in 
 Motion, and by that Means the Heart, and fo 
 recover'd the Dog to Life. 
 
 The third Experiment was made by Dr. Croon, 
 of Grejham College, before the Rcyal Society, on a 
 Puller, which he ftrangled, fo as no Sign of Life 
 appear'd, but by blowing Wind into the Trachea, 
 and fo letting the Lungs a Playing, brought the 
 Bird to Life again. 
 
 B. Though this muft be allow'd to be moft 
 wonderful, yet as we are inform'd by the greateft 
 Philofophers, as well as many modem Chymifts, 
 that Either, or the setherial Spirit, univerfally 
 difpers'd, is the Caufe not only of mufcular Mo- 
 tion, but of all the Motion in the Univerfe, and 
 as all this feems fo probable, we have not fo 
 much Reafon to wonder at all thefe lefler Effects ; 
 however, fuch Things as thefe muft be fufficient 
 to inform us, that fomething more is perform'd, 
 than what is commonly apprehended by moft, 
 when they fimply, and in the common Phrafe, 
 fpeak of Blowing Wind down the Throat. 
 
 Surely as this astherial Medium is obferv'd fo 
 abfolutely neceflary, not only at the firft Forma- 
 tion of the Fabric, but likewife all the Time of 
 the Increafe, or, if I may be allow'd the Expref- 
 fion, all the Time of its Building up -, it muft na- 
 turally difcover a conftant Tendency to the Re- 
 pairing of many of the Breaches that may cafually 
 happen to it , which Repairs, if your electrical 
 ./Ether were capable of performing, this perhaps 
 might prove more convincing, that it was the 
 
 very
 
 'Electricity render d ufefuh 73 
 
 very etherial fubtil Medium of Philofophers, than 
 all your former Reafoning and Experiments put 
 together. 
 
 A. Nothing can be more plainly difcover'd than 
 the falutary Effects of ./Ether, even of that Portion 
 contain'd in Air, if we were only to confider how 
 much a fine and pure Air contributes towards the 
 Recovery of loft Health : And if electrical Either, 
 and the univerfal /Ether, or fubtil Medium of 
 Philofophers, are the very fame identical Sub- 
 ftance ; that then electrical Either muft necef- 
 farily, as you obferve, difcover a natural Tendency 
 to heal -, and that it does actually difcover fuch a 
 Tendency, the following feveral Cafes feem clearly 
 to prove : And, to fay the Truth, it was Accounts 
 of fome very remarkable Cures mention'd in the 
 public Papers, which induc'd me at firft to get 
 an electrical Apparatus, and with no other View 
 than to make Experiments of that Kind, being 
 fully perfuaded, that fo extraordinary a Phasno^ 
 menon was never difcover'd to us, but to anfwer 
 fome very valuable End ; and, tho' I began Expe- 
 riments of this Kind at all Adventures, and at the 
 greateft Random poffible, yet I had the Pleafure 
 and Happinefs to fucceed^ far beyond my Expec- 
 tation, and will therefore give you a faithful Acr 
 count of various Cafes, wherein I have had the 
 Opportunity to find electrical Treatment of Ufe. 
 
 Eletfri&ty apply d to the Cure of bodily Diforders, 
 
 i . \ Servant of* Mr. Tilt, qf Bromjgrove, ten ' 
 y~\ or twelve Miles from Worcefter, afflicted 
 with a violent and conflant Head-ach for near a 
 Fortnight, was twice electris'd, at Half an Hour 
 cjiftant from each other, and cur'd ; who, coming 
 again that Day Fortnight, declar'd he never had 
 any Return of it afterwards. 
 
 The
 
 74 Ekftricity render d ufefuL 
 
 The Manner of the Operation was a few light 
 Shocks in the Head. 
 
 2. Mr. Robert Souk, in Worcefter, troubled with 
 a Sciatica for many Years, was cur'd at one Ope- 
 ration , after which, I did not remember to have 
 feen him for near a Year, at which Time he de- 
 clar'd, that he had ever fmce been free from it. 
 
 The Operation was Shocks likewife, convey'd 
 to the Part affected. 
 
 3. William Jinks i of the Hofpital in Fryer-jlreet^ 
 Worcefter^ troubled with a Rheumatic Pain in the 
 Knee for eight Years, and, at fome Times, fo bad, 
 as to have but little Reft Day or Night, particu 
 larly when in Bed ; but, after Making Uie of the 
 electrical Machine a few Days, was eas'd of his 
 Pain, fo that he could reft well -, and, tho', before, 
 it was with Difficulty that he walk'd with a Staff, 
 yet was, foon after, able to go without it. 
 
 The Operation was fometimes Shocks, fome- 
 times fimply Drawing off Sparks, which is com- 
 monly perform'd thus : 
 
 Let the Perfon ftand on the electrical Cake, 
 and another, ftanding on the Floor, bring an 
 iron Rod, or a Finger, near to the Part affected, 
 at which Time Sparks of Fire will be feen to dart 
 from it. 
 
 4. JohnBroome^ having, for fome Days, complain'd 
 of a very bad Pain juft above his Eye-brow, 
 which, he faid, was much like the Head-ach, 
 only fixed to that particular Part, was cur'd in a 
 few Minutes. 
 
 The Operation was Shocks at the Part affected. 
 
 5. Mr. Higgins, in the Lich-ftreet, Worcefter, 
 troubled with a partial as well as periodical Head- 
 ach for near fix Weeks, from the Top of his Fore- 
 head, or right Temple, down to his Ear, which 
 commonly began at Five or Six o'Clock in the 
 
 Evening,
 
 QleEtricity render d ufeful. 75 
 
 Evening, and held till he went to Bed, was cur'd 
 in a few Minutes. 
 
 The Operation was fimply Drawing Sparks 
 from the Part affected. 
 
 6. Margaret Dancocks, near Sidbury-gate^ Wor- 
 cefter^ was afflicted with an almoft conftant as well 
 as violent Pain in the Hinderpart of her Head, for 
 near three Quarters of a Year -, but worft of all, 
 when, Ihe firft lay down in her Bed, being then fo 
 intolerable, fhe could not forbear Shrieking ; ha- 
 ving made Ufe of all Means in her Power, to no 
 Effect, was very foon reliev'd of the Violence of 
 the Pain, by being electris'd once a Day, and, af- 
 ter continuing it fome Time longer, declar'd her- 
 felf perfectly cur'd. 
 
 The Operation was Drawing Sparks, and fome 
 light Shocks, convey'd to the Part affected. 
 
 7. The fame Perfon had been afflicted with the 
 moft violent Cramp in her Legs I ever heard of, 
 which Diforder feiz'd her before me was twenty 
 Years of Age, and continu'd till the Operation was 
 perform'd, when me was upwards of Seventy : 
 This was moft violent always when in Bed, at 
 which Time me was forc'd to tumble out on the 
 Floor, and there continue till it was over, were 
 the Weather ever fo marp, and this, fometimes, 
 twice or thrice the fame Night -, the violent con- 
 vuls'd mufcular Parts forming themfelves into dif- 
 torted Ridges, attended with exquifite Pain, burft- 
 ing the fmall Blood-vefTels, which afterwards ap- 
 pear'd of a livid Hue for a confiderable Time : 
 This was entirely cur'd in a few Days. 
 
 The Operation was Shocks only, and perform'd, 
 once a Day, thus : Having taken off her Shoes, 
 fhe put one Foot on the End of the Chain which 
 came from the charg'd Phial -, then, putting the 
 lower End of a large Wire, or fmall iron Bar, to 
 the other Foot, and, at bringing the other End to 
 
 the
 
 76 Ele&ricity render d ufefuL 
 
 the excited Apparatus, the electrical Matter was 
 convey'd thro' both Legs at the fame Time. By 
 Experiment IVth. 
 
 8. Another, who had ridged Knots in the 
 Thigh, in Form like what appear in violent 
 Cramps, tho* much more foft, and lefs painful : 
 Thofe were entirely diflipated, in a Minute or two, 
 by fimply Drawing Sparks from the Parts affected. 
 
 9. Mary Bradley , of St. Peter's, Worcefter^ very 
 much afflicted with a Rheumatic Pain in her Shoul- 
 der and Arm, for near three Quarters of a Year, 
 but moftly when in Bed , nor was (he able to drefs 
 herfelf : Her Diforder was fuch, as feem'd out of 
 the Power of Medicine to cure, having been an 
 Out-patient of the Infirmary for four Months, 
 without Succefs ; was, by Help of the electrical 
 Machine, foon reliev'd of her Pain, and able to 
 do her Bufmefs ; and, tho' it is now a Year fmce,. 
 ihe ftill continues eafy and well. 
 
 The Operation was fometimes by Shocks, fome- 
 times Drawing Sparks from the Part affected. 
 
 10. Anne fhomafon, in Little FiJh-Jhreet^ Wor- 
 eefter^ was troubled with a Fiftula near the inner 
 Corner of her Eye, which healed, and broke again 
 feven Times, yet was fearful of putting herfelf 
 into the Hands of a Surgeon, becaufe me was in- 
 form'd it would be neceffary to make an Incifion 
 in her Noftril. 
 
 The laft Time it heal'd, it continu'd well a con- 
 fiderable Time ; after which, it began, at the 
 fame Place, with a very fmall Swelling, and con- 
 tinu'd growing larger, till it was as big as a Fil- 
 beard , at which Time one of her Neighbours ad- 
 vis'd her to try the electrical Machine, which me 
 did, and foon found it grow lefs and lefs, and fo 
 continu'd doing, till it was entirely diflipated, and 
 has continu'd well for more than two Years, with- 
 out
 
 Eletfricity render d ufefuL 77 
 
 out the leaft Symptom of any Return of the Dif- 
 order. 
 
 The Operation was fimply Drawing Sparks from 
 the Part affefted. 
 
 The following Account was written by the Gen- 
 tleman himfelf, on whom the Cure was performed : 
 
 ii. "A Gentleman in Worcefter had the Mif- 
 " fortune of running the Point of a Bodkin into 
 " the Infide of his Hand, near the fore and mid- 
 " die Fingers : The Wound was fo fmall, it was 
 " fcarce to be feen the fourth Day, and afterwards 
 " not at all, and was, in Reality, no more than 
 *' the Prick of a large Pin ; yet, in three or four 
 " Days, a Swelling came on, not only in the 
 " Palm, but likewife on the Back of the Hand. 
 
 " The fifth Day, upon a greater Uneafmefs in 
 " the Hand, a Surgeon was calPd in, who, du- 
 " ring the Space of three Months, apply'd Pul- 
 *' tices, Fomentations, the ftrongeft drawing Plaif- 
 " ters, &c. both to the Infide and Outfide of the 
 " Hand, yet all to no Purpofe : As no Medicine 
 " would affect the Swelling, a Caufbic was ap- 
 " ply'd, but with no more Succefs than all the 
 " other Means \ whenever this inveterate Swelling 
 " was touch'd or preis'd, it left a Dent in the Back 
 " of the Hand, like what we fee in the Flefli of 
 " dropfical Perfons. 
 
 " The Swelling ftill continu'd, and no Altera- 
 tc tion, nor Likelihood of any. Upon Reading the 
 " Gentleman's Magazine for 1749, he obferv'd great 
 " Things had been done by Means of Eledricify ; 
 *' he therefore applied to one in the Neighbour- 
 " hood, who had an electrical Machine, and was 
 <c ele<5lrify'd twice on the Infide of his Hand, at 
 " the Bottom of the middle Finger , in four Days 
 " it broke there; he was then electrify'd on the 
 " Back of the Hand, oppofite to the Infide -, juft 
 * ' at the fame Space of Time it broke on the Back, 
 2 " and
 
 7 8 Eletfricity render d ufeful. 
 
 46 and difcharg'd a good Deal of Matter, and, in 
 " about three Weeks, heaPd." This Operation 
 was fimply Drawing off Sparks. 
 
 12. The very fame Gentleman, about two Years 
 after, had the Misfortune of a Mortification, which 
 began in his Toe, and gradually increas'd, not- 
 withftanding all the beft Methods were us'd which 
 could be thought of. 
 
 As the Ufe of the Machine had fo good an Ef- 
 fect on his Hand, I prevail'd with him to try it 
 twice on his Toe. 
 
 Soon after this the Surgeon faw me, and afk'd 
 
 me, when I electrify'd Mr. IV 's Toe ; I told 
 
 him, two or elfe three Days before : He reply'd, 
 the Mortification was ftopp'd. But, not withstand - 
 ing this promifing Afpect, together with the falu- 
 tary Effect on his Hand beforementioned, he, like 
 one infatuated, neglected the Ufe of thofe Means, 
 and the Mortification came on again -, which he 
 fuffer'd to increafe very much, before he could be 
 prevail'd on to make Ufe of it again. This caus'd 
 me to tell him, if he would not make Ufe of it in 
 Time, I mould much rather he would give over 
 all Thoughts of it ; but he feem'd, notwithftand- 
 ing thefe Neglects, to have a very great Opinion 
 of it ; that he dream'd of it, and that he muft and 
 would be electrify'd again : Accordingly he got an 
 electrical Machine into his Houfe, though I muft 
 own, by that Time, I had not much Hopes of its 
 being of any confiderable Service to him j how- 
 ever, Electricity was again made Ufe of, and the 
 electrical Virtue to pafs, with fome Violence, thro* 
 the mortify'd Part. 
 
 The next Morning, when it was opened, the 
 Surgeon feem'd aftonifh'd at feeing fuch an Alte- 
 ration, and afk'd Mrs. W , who flood by, 
 
 what had been done to it ? She defir'd to know 
 why he feem'd fo furpris'd, and if he thought it 
 
 better ?
 
 rendered ufefuL 79 
 
 better ? Better, yes, reply'd he, by fifty per Cent. 
 for now it difcharges good Matter, and ftill defir'd 
 to know what had been done to it : She told him, 
 nothing but electrify'd, and faid, that that muft 
 needs be the Caufe of the fudden Change for the 
 better ; and, though he told her he could not be- 
 lieve it was capable of producing fuch Eftects t 
 yet he order'd, that, whatever had been done, 
 might be repeated ; it was accordingly twice elec- 
 trify'd ,that Day ; and though, next Morning, it 
 had not difcharg'd quite fo much as before, yet 
 fhe faid he told her, there had been more good 
 Matter difcharg'd, at thofe two Drefiings, than 
 there had been for five or fix Weeks before, and 
 defir'd it might ftill be continu'd, not twice, but 
 once a Day. 
 
 As the Diforder was at this Time far advanc'd, 
 and as all other Means prov'd ineffectual, if find- 
 ing it ftill yield to this Sort of Treatment would be 
 thought fomething furprifing, how much more fo, 
 to find, that, after fo many favourable Circumftan- 
 ces, he mould refufe to make Ufe of it again ? 
 But this was the very Cafe -, and his Reafon was, 
 it gave him Pain, which in all Probability was, in 
 that Diforder, no bad Symptom. 
 
 Had he purfu'd it at firft, it might, in all Pro- 
 bability, have had as falutary an Effect as before 
 on his Hand ; for, in all Likelihood, if that had 
 been neglected much longer, that too muft have 
 mortify'd, becaufe it appear'd as if the Circula- 
 tion was nearly ceas'd, and Medicine not to have 
 the leaft Effect ; but, as foon as the Palm of the 
 Hand was electrify'd, the Fluids, which were be- 
 fore almoft at a Stand, began then to move, as if 
 they had been juft infpir'd with new Life-, for, from 
 that Time, the very Part gradually aroie, came to 
 a Head, and broke. 
 
 And, notwithstanding all the Appearances above- 
 2 mentioned,
 
 80 Ek fir? city tender d ufeful. 
 
 mentioned, this might be thought to be nothing 
 more than a lucky Turn of the Diforder, which 
 happen'd juft at that Time i yet the Electrifying 
 the Back of the Hand afterwards, and which, as 
 the Gentleman himfelf informs us, had the fame 
 Effect, and brought it to a Suppuration in the ve- 
 ry fame Space of Time> is not only a plainer Proof 
 that Electricity was the Caufe, but alfo, in fome 
 Meafure, feems to promife ftill greater Advanta- 
 ges to Mankind, when more frequently apply'd to 
 Diforders incident to the human Body, and when 
 Time and Experience mall have pointed out the 
 particular Diforders which feem befl adapted to 
 iuch electrical Treatment. 
 
 The Operation was Shocks only ; thofe were 
 brought from the Toe, outwardly, through the 
 Drefling and feveral Folds of Flannel, by bringing 
 the Chain from the Coating of the Phial to the' 
 Knee, then laying one End of a large Wire, or 
 fmall iron Rod, to the Extremity of the Toe, and 
 bringing the other End of the Rod to the excited 
 Apparatus. The Circuit being thus form'd, the 
 Shock was given, and the Circulation perform'd, 
 fo as to pafs outwardly from the difeas'd Part. 
 
 N. B. The Fire could be plainly feen, between 
 the End of the fmall Rod and the flannel Dreflmg 
 at the End of his Toe, every Time the upper End 
 of the Rod was brought to the excited Apparatus. 
 
 13. A young Lady had the Misfortune of a 
 Strain of the Knee-joint, or rather the crural Li^ 
 gament, together with a low-fpirited Diforder, per- 
 haps hyfterical , this feem'd to be heighten'd by 
 the other Misfortune, and increas'd to that De^ 
 gree as to bring on a Kind of fainting Fits, which 
 fometimes follow'd each other fo fail, as to have 
 two or three of them lucce/lively* Thole, though 
 they were in Appearance exactly like fwooning 
 Fits, yet, in this feeming inlenfible State, Hie could 
 
 hear
 
 render d ufefuL 81 
 
 hear and underftand what was faying or doingj 
 but had no Power to ftir. 
 
 This Diforder feem'd as ftubborn as the other 
 Malady ; and the Surgeon was of Opinion, that, 
 fo long as it continu'd, the Lamenefs Would grow 
 worfe, which accordingly happen'd. 
 
 As all Attempts had nitherto prov'd unfuccefs- 
 ful, me try'd the Bath, but to little Effect. 
 
 About three Quarters of a Year after the Acci- 
 dent happen'd, electrical Treatment was advis'd* 
 and accordingly made Ufe of. When me firft 
 came to me there appeared no Swelling, but, ori 
 the contrary, the mufcular Part of the Leg much 
 fallen away ; a continual Coldnels alfo attended the 
 Foot. 
 
 Electricity* for the firft Month, feem'd to nave 
 but little Effect ; but, the fecond, there was a vifi- 
 ble Alteration for the better ; the next Month af- 
 ter, it mended furprifingly, fo that me began td 
 exercife it, by firft attempting to walk a few Steps 
 each Day, without Crutch or Staff, which, as me 
 inform'd me, me could perform without Pain. 1 
 advis'd her to find out the Number of Steps me 
 could accomplifri wiAout Pain, a"nd then to add 
 one to the Number each Day, which fhe did, and 
 afterwards two each Day ; thus it continu'd, mend- 
 ing in the fame furprifirtg Manner, this fecond 
 Month, particularly after leaving off the cold Bath : 
 At the End of the next Month, which was the 
 third after it began to mend, fhe was grown fd 
 well as to attempt the going down with a Country 
 Dance, and began to think of leaving Ort the Ufe 
 of Electricity. 
 
 Finding fhe did not attend as ufualj 1 fent her* 
 a finall Epirtle, to inform her, that, although fhe 
 might think herfelf nearly well, yet I could not 
 help thinking, that what had been fo long and fo 
 conftantly practis'd, ought not to be left off all aC 
 G once,
 
 82 Eleffricity render d ufefuL 
 
 once, for Fear of a Relapfe ; but, notwithftanding' 
 this, fhe came not again, till me was convinc'd 
 that what I fufpected was coming on her, for fhe 
 foon found a very vifible Relapfe, and was oblig'd 
 to return to theUii: of ^Ether again, and, when fhe 
 had recover'd the Relapfe, to leave off the Ule of 
 it more gradually * : But when fhe left it quite ofF > 
 it appear'd a rmifli'd Cure, of not only the Lame- 
 nefs, but of the Fits likewife,. and the Coldnefs of 
 the Foot ; the Leg alfo, which had been in a Kind 
 of pining Way, appear'd as full of Flefh, and as- 
 tight and well braced as the other. 
 
 The Operation was Shocks chiefly for the grand 
 Complaint, but, to help the Fits, the Manner in 
 which it was perform'd was thus : 
 
 To a Chamber^ at four Rooms Diflance from 
 the Machine, were Wires convey'd, fupported with, 
 filken Strings, where the young Lady fat in a Chair,, 
 each Leg of the Chair being, fupported with a Cake 
 of Refm -, her Feet were alfo fupported with ano- 
 ther large Cake, fo that a Communication, of the 
 electrical JEthe% with the Earth, was entirely cut 
 off; thus me fat fupported for Half an Hour at 
 leaft, in which Operation nothing is felt ; the 
 Whole of which appears to be perform'd by Refpi- 
 ration only. 
 
 The Shocks were always firft perform'd before 
 fhe fat in the electrical Chair -f- , and perhaps fifty, 
 fixty, or more every Night -, at each Shock, the 
 Fire was made to pafs through that Part of the 
 Knee where the Diibrder lay ; as to the Operation, 
 fhe, with the Affiftance of a Maid-fervant, could,. 
 
 * After the Relapfe, the Progrefs of the Cure was much 
 more tedious than before ; and it was four or five Months lon- 
 ger, e're the Ufe of Electricity could be quite left oft". 
 
 f Becaufe, fometimes after Heating by long P'riclion, the 
 Globe adls not ftrong enough to caufe a Shock. 
 
 with."
 
 JLletfricity render d ufcfttL 83 
 
 With proper Directions, perform it herfelf, thus : 
 The Condenflng-phial was fufpended on a conve- 
 nient Part of the Apparatus of Wires, and, a Piece 
 of Chain being faften'd to it, the other End of it 
 was brought to one Side of the Knee , then taking 
 a Wire in the other Hand$ one End of which be^ 
 ing laid to the oppofite Side of the Knee, the Shock 
 was produc'd by guiding the other End of the faid 
 Wire to any Part of the excited Apparatus j by 
 which Means the electrical Either pafs'd through 
 the Part affected, by being made a Part of the Cir- 
 cuit *, as at Experiment the 4th. 
 
 14. A young Lady was very much afflicted with 
 Fits for near feven Years, which feiz'd her without 
 giving any Warning, and threw her flat on her 
 Face ; for which Reafon it was dangerous to g<* 
 near the Firej or even walk abroad by herfelf, not- 
 withftanding me fcarce ever, excepting once, con- 
 tinu'd in that infenfible State fo long as a Minute* 
 and oftentimes not half fo long. 
 
 Their Returns were very frequent, fdmefimeS 
 twice iri a Day, though Sometimes perhaps, after 
 beginning with a frefh Medicine, me would find 
 fome Relief j but nothing could be found which 
 was likely to prove an abfblute Cure; till Electri- 
 city was advis'd and comply'd with : What ren- 
 der'd the Cure the more difficult, was a very great 
 Coldnefs in the Feet, and Phyficians were of Opi- 
 nion* that the Fits would not Be eafily cortqiier'd^ 
 except the Coldnefs of the Feet could be firft re- 
 mov'd ; this I did not know till afterwards^ butj 
 as me told me.j it fometimes feem'd to begin iii 
 her Stomach, I was not mtich at a Lofs to know 
 how to convey the Fire through both Stomach and 
 Head at the fame Time 5 for, whatever be the Part 
 
 * Some like Operations were made Ufe of; to convey it td 
 the Knee, Leg, and Foot, all at once. 
 
 G 2 affected,
 
 84 Ele&ricity render d ufefuL 
 
 affected, and I have a Defire to pafs the Firs 
 through that particular Part, it is only to form a 
 Circuit as in the Manner defcribH by Experiment 
 the 4th, and to cauie that particular Part to make 
 a Part of the Circuit, and -it is done : And iince 
 it is equal, by the fame Experiment, whether the 
 Circuit be long or Ihort, the moil eligible Way 
 mull be to have her (land upon the Wire or Chain 
 coming from the leaden Coat of the Condenfing- 
 phial, and then to compleat the Circuit by laying 
 another Wire to any particular Part of her Head, 
 by which Means the Fire will be convey'd to that, 
 particular Part of it - 9 for,, as the Line of Direction 
 of the Fire is always the mortefl poifible,, by al- 
 ways taking the neareft Way, as is evident by 
 that Experiment, it may be guided to a very great 
 Exaftnefs ; this being the Method which was taken, 
 and the Fire going through the Feet, as well as 
 the Stomach and Head, all feem'd to receive an 
 equal Share of the Benefit, and a compleat Cure 
 was effected, both of the Fits and Cbldnefs of the 
 Feet , and both appearing to be gradually con- 
 quer'd at the fame Time. 
 
 The Operation was Shocks only , and the fub- 
 til Medium perform'd the Circuit from the Sole 
 of the Foot, through the Crown of the Head. 
 
 Concerning Motion being communicated to extra- 
 vafated Blood. 
 
 Itbr Experiment ivas this : 
 
 15. A Perfon having a dark livid Spot under 
 jf~V the Eye, from a Blow three Days be- 
 fore ; it was, in lefs than a Quarter of an Flour fo 
 taken out,, or rather the Circulation fo carry'd on, 
 thar there only rernain'd ;> faint Mark where it had 
 been. 
 
 The
 
 Eleffricity render d ufsful. 85 
 
 The Operatic^ was limply Drawing Sparks from 
 the Part affected. 
 
 1 6., The lame Perfon had a Swelling between 
 the Neck and Shoulder-blade as big as an Egg, 
 and nearly as hard, which had been growing to 
 that Size for feveral Years : She had not been 
 many Times eiectris'd 'before it began to foften, 
 and, foon after this, to difcharge a thin Kind of 
 Humour thro' a fmall Orifice, and continu'd 
 difcharging, and gradually foftening, till it was 
 entirely diflipated. 
 
 The Perfon call'd it a Wen ; but I thought it 
 much harder than they commonly are.. 
 
 Thefe Kind of Operations are beft perform'd by 
 eleclrifing the Perfon on a Cake of Refin, and an- 
 ther {landing on the Floor, to bring an iron Rod, 
 Jarge Wire, or elle his Finger, fo near the Part, 
 that the Sparks may be -drawn from it; and this 
 to be repeated ach Day, for five or fix Minutes. 
 
 17. A young Woman, by Drinking too freely 
 at a cold Spring, when over-heated, was after- 
 wards feiz'd with a feverifh Diforder, which con- 
 tinu'd for -a Quarter of a Year, or more , at which 
 Time a Number of red Spots began to appear on 
 her Arms., out of which feem'd to breathe fuch 
 Effluvia, as foon condens'd into a thin, dry, crufty 
 Subftance, that appear'd rather as Scales than 
 Scabs, and thefe from her Elbows down to her 
 Fingers : This Diforder continu'd on her for near 
 three Years, which the firft and fecond Winter 
 very much leffen'd, but the third Year it continu'd 
 the fame in the Winter likewife. 
 
 The next Summer me began to make Ufe of 
 Electricity, and, in three Weeks or a Month, 
 moft-ofthofe Scales difappear'd : Before this, me 
 had a remarkable dry Hand, but, after thefe Elec- 
 trifations, as remarkably moift, infomuch as to 
 be troublefome when at her Needlework. 
 
 G 3 The
 
 86 Electricity render d ufefuL 
 
 The Operation was limply Drawing Sparks from 
 f:he Parts affected, once a Day. 
 
 18. Elifabetb Bund, near the Old Hills , in the 
 Parifh of Pgwick, a few Miles from Worcefler^ had, 
 for fifty Years paft, been abided with fevere Fits j 
 which, like an Epilepfy, gave her no Warning of 
 the approaching Danger, but threw her down in 
 #n Inftant on the Ground, and continu'd her in a 
 State of total Infenfibiljty for a confiderable Time : 
 As the Number of Attacks were fometimes twice, 
 and fometimes thrice in a Day, (he found it ex- 
 tremely dangerous to go near either Fire or Wa- 
 ter ; from the Firft, by being too near it when the 
 Fit came, me has twice been a dreadful Sufferer, 
 fiaving two of her Fingers burnt off, and her Face 
 and Neck greatly distigur'd by the Fire, during 
 her infenfible State. 
 
 But being in Worcefter, the latter End of the 
 Year 1752, and accidentally relating her unhappy 
 Situation to me, I was ftrongly inclin'd to try if 
 the electrical Shock might prove of any Efficacy 
 in fuch a Cafe. 
 
 She defir'd earneftly to make the Trial, as me 
 had try'd other Means in vain -, and found, upon 
 her Return Home, fuch a furprifing Amendment 
 in herfelf, as encourag'd her to come to Worcefter^ 
 from that Time to the Year 1754, as often as me 
 had an Opportunity, to repeat the Operation ; the 
 Confequence of which was the gradual Decreafe 
 pf an inveterate Head-ach, which attended her 
 Diforder, and, at laft, the total Ceffation of the 
 Fits themfelves ; for, inftead of being feiz'd with 
 them twice or thrice a Day, after me had began 
 thefe electrical Operations, ihe had np more than 
 about four of them, and thofe greatly weaken'd, 
 from that Time to Chriftmas, 1753 ; and as, fmcc 
 they have not return'd again, there is fuffi- 
 
 cient
 
 Electricity render d ufeful. 87 
 
 crcnt Reafon to hope they never will. Sign'd Sep- 
 tember the i2tb, 1754. 
 
 The Operation was Shocks chiefly, and, in thofe, 
 the Fire was guided, for the moil Part, thro' the 
 Arm and Head, for Want of better Knowledge at 
 that Time , for, if a fimilar Cafe were now to of- 
 fer, I fhould be more inclin'd to pafs it quite thro* 
 the whole Body as well as the Head, as at Cafe 
 the 1 4th. 
 
 19. A young Gentlewoman, of the Parim of 
 Clifton, about ten Miles from Worcefter^ fome Time 
 after, being recover'd of a Fever, was feiz'd with 
 violent Hyfterics ; the Effects of which were fo 
 bad, as very foon to deprive her of both Memory 
 and Underftanding -, and fo continu'd for a confi- 
 derable Time, notwithstanding the beft Advice of 
 two eminent Phyficians. 
 
 In this melancholy State me was brought to> 
 Worcejhr^ to try the Effect of Electricity -, I told 
 the Perfon who brought her, it would be neceifary 
 to perform the Operation, at firft, in a very flight 
 Manner, left it mould ftartle her, and by that 
 Means fo intimidate her, as to prevent her Coming 
 again ; but me reply'd, there was no Danger of 
 that, for me could not remember Half an Hour 
 to an End. 
 
 As the Head was the Part affected, I guided 
 the Fire chiefly to that Part, in as plentiful a 
 Manner as I well could, and caus'd it to pafs 
 quite thro 1 feveral Times each Day, fo long as me 
 ftaid in Town, which, tho' fcarce a Week, yet it 
 feem'd to have the defir'd Effect , for althoV be- 
 fore me came to Worcefler^ me could not remem- 
 ber Half an Hour to an End, yet, foon after her 
 Return Home, me could remember mofl remark- 
 able Things fhe faw done in Worcejler\ and not 
 only her Memory, but her Underftanding alfo re- 
 turn'd, and Ihe very foon became perfectly well. 
 G 4 The
 
 88 Ekftricity render d 
 
 The Operation was fometimes Shocks, fome- 
 times Drawing off Sparks from the Head. 
 
 20. Mrs. liiggins^ in the Licb-ftreet t Worcefler^ 
 troubled with a low-fpirited hyflerical Diforder, 
 was afflicted alfo with a Coldnefs in the Feet for 
 many Years : From this Coldnefs in the Feet, a 
 Coldnefs could be plainly perceiv'd to move- gra- 
 dually quite up to her Head, in Haifa Minute's 
 Time, or lefs, which would then appear like a 
 Palfy in her Head ; and, very foon after, fuch a 
 Chattering of the Teeth would enfue, as we fome- 
 times behold in the moft violent fhiveriog Fit of 
 an Ague ; from thence this Shaking proceeded to 
 her Arms, and all over her Body , and, as Hyf- 
 terics, mimic moft other Diforders, the Shaking 
 was fo violent, and appear'd fo active, as if it was 
 rather inclined to mimic the St. Situs's Dance than 
 the Palfy. 
 
 The Returns, or fits of this making Diforder 
 and low-fpirited Complaint, were very frequent 
 for upwards of ten Years, notwithftanding all the 
 Means made Ufeof; but, after being electris'd 
 pnce a Day, in lefs than a Fortnight's Time, went 
 entirely off; and, by continuing the Ufe for fome 
 Time longer, was much higher in Spirits, and the 
 Coldnefs of her Feet quite cur'd. 
 
 The Operation was fometimes Shocks, fome- 
 times fimply Drawing off Sparks ; bqt the longeft 
 Operation was fimply Electrifying, viz. Standing 
 on the electrical Cake only, and Breathing the 
 peleftial Fire, which, perhaps, was performed for 
 the greateft fart of Half an Hour. 
 
 21. Efther Hopkins , of Tcdney near WToitbourn^ 
 about (even or eight Miles from Worcejter^ was 
 troubled with a very painful Swelling in the Ball 
 of her great Toe for fome Years -, the Pain was 
 greateft of all, wb.en in her Bed j having, in vain, 
 
 made
 
 Electricity render d ufeful. 89 
 
 made Ufe of other Means, came to Worcefer to 
 try the Effect of Electricity. 
 
 After the firft or fecond Operation, the Pain was 
 much abated ; and me told me, with Pleafure, the 
 next Morning, me had flept comfortably, and had 
 more Reft than in any Night for a confiderable 
 Time before , and, after continuing the Ufe of it 
 for a fmall Time longer, the Swelling gradually 
 affwag'd, and the Pain left her. 
 
 The 'Operation was Setting her on a Cake of 
 Refin, and, after conveying the electrical ^Ether 
 on her, a Finger, or Piece of Metal, was brought 
 fo near to the Part affected, as to draw off Sparks. 
 
 This is oftentimes call'd, fimply, Drawing off 
 
 Sparks. 
 
 22. John Webb, in Fijh-ftreet, IVorcefter^ feventy 
 Years of Age, was troubled with a very painful 
 Diforder in his Feet, for ten or twelve Years, 
 which, he had been inform'd, was the Gout ; a 
 general Coldnefs alfo of the Feet attended the Dif- 
 order, which was fometimes fo great, that, if he 
 fat ftill in cold Weather, he was almoft infenfible 
 of the other Pain; and, if he warm'd them by ths 
 Fire, it caus'd them to rage in fuch a Manner, as 
 fcarce to be borne ; and alfo in Bed, when any 
 Warmth came on, efpecially in the Ball of one of 
 his great Toes, which was fo intolerable, that, 
 many Times, after two or three painful Hours, 
 he was forc'd to get up, and perhaps fit ftarving 
 with Cold in a Chair, being fcarce able to walk, for 
 the Greatnefs of the Pain : If he made fhift to ftay 
 in Bed, to make it tolerable, he was oblig'd to 
 prop up the Bed-clothes with his other Foot. 
 
 The Nails of his Toes, very frequently, dropp'd 
 off all at once, if he did not prevent them, when 
 they were become loofe, by pulling them off; the 
 Toes in general appear'd of a livid Hue, and the 
 Circulation was fo much retarded in the whole 
 
 Foot,
 
 90 aKtitity render d ufeful. 
 
 Foot, as to produce Symptoms of a Mortification ; 
 large black or dark livid Spots were frequently 
 form'd on the Top and Sides of his Feet, and at 
 the Ends of his Toes , thofe, when they firft 
 came, were exceeding painful, and, at that Time, 
 he durft not much tamper with them j but, in 
 fome longer Time, they grew quite dry and hard, 
 and then he could cut them out with a Penknife, 
 and, perhaps, without making them bleed , but, 
 if he attempted to open them, before they were 
 grown dry, they continu'd fore for a long Time ; 
 thefe were fo frequent, and fo painful, particularly 
 at the End of his fecond Toe, he had fometimes 
 determined to have it cut off, or, at leaft, the up- 
 per Part of his Toe : Befides thefe, he had another 
 Complaint in his Heels, which were generally 
 puff'd up like blown Bladders. 
 
 Every one of thefe Complaints, by being elec- 
 tris'd once a Day for fome Time, and afterwards 
 twice a Week, gradually decreas'd ; and are now * 
 fo far conquer'd, as to have no painful, reftlefs, and 
 tedious Nights, no Nails dropping off as ufual, no 
 Coldnefs in the Feet, nor bloated Heels, no intole- 
 rable Pain in the Ball of the great Toe, no more 
 Signs of Mortification ; but the Blacknefs of the 
 upper Side of the Toes are changing to their natu- 
 ral Colour, and the chief Remains of Complaints 
 are, now, rather a Sorenefs or Tendernefs in the 
 Feet, attended fometimes with a Tingling, which 
 is probably the falutary Effects of the accelerated 
 Motion of the Blood ; as when any particular Part 
 by being prefs'd or bound too hard, the Motion 
 of the Blood has been fome Time retarded j after 
 which, at removing the Obftruftion, when the 
 Blood goes on again, we frequently, at fuch Time, 
 find a Tingling. 
 
 * Sigli'd February 20, 1756. 
 
 This
 
 Ele&ricity render d ufeful 9 r 
 
 This perhaps might be one of the beft of Symp- 
 coms. 
 
 Quxry, Whether, inftead of the Gout, the Foun- 
 dation of all thofe Complaints were not a too lan- 
 guid Motion of the Blood, particularly in the Feet ; 
 for, although fuch a Complication of Diforders, 
 yet each one, in Appearance, was the Effect of fuch 
 an undue Circulation; and what feem'd to confirm 
 it, was, that, when the Motion of the Blood was 
 accelerated, which was known by his Feet grow- 
 ing warmer, every one of the other Complaints 
 mended as it were together, or all at once. 
 
 The Operation. Sometimes at firft, when at 
 worft, limply Drawing Sparks, but afterwards 
 chiefly Shocks ; and, as the Diforder lay altogether 
 in the Feet, the Method was, to bring the Chain 
 from the Phial to the Part affected of one Foot, 
 and then lay one End of a Wire or fmall iron Rod 
 to the Part aggrieved of the other Foot, bringing 
 the other End of the Rod to the Gun-barrel, or 
 other Part of the excited Apparatus-, and the Shock 
 fucceeded, and the Circulation was perform'd the 
 neareft Way through the Padent, from one metal- 
 lic Body to the other ', which, in fuch a Cafe, muft 
 be up one Leg and down the other, of which the 
 Knees were very fenfible. 
 
 23. Mr. Jojhua Wade^ in Per/bore, nine Miles 
 from Worcefter : 
 
 Troubled for feven or eight Years with a pain- 
 ful Diforder in his fecond Toe, and though as ten- 
 der as a Boil, yet was there nothing to be feen ; 
 the Pain was fo great, particularly in Walking, he 
 was determined to have it cut off at the firft Joint. 
 
 This troublefome Malady was cur'd at one Ope- 
 ration, which was perform'd by electrifying him 
 on a Cake of Refm, and with an iron Stile draw- 
 ing Sparks from the Part affected. 
 
 24. Mr.
 
 g 2 Electricity render d ufeful. 
 
 24. Mr. Edmund, Teates^ of Hennick's-hill, near 
 Worcefter^ afflicted for two or three Months with a 
 violent Pain in the lower Part of his Back, Loins, 
 Hip, and down the Side of his Thigh ; was cur'd 
 with a few of thefe electrical Operations, which 
 were perform'd by conveying Shocks to the Parts 
 affeded. 
 
 25. Mr. Eibb* of Hennick > s-hill^ troubled with 
 a violent rheumatic Pain in his Arm, which had 
 continu'd ten or twelve Years, particularly when 
 in Bed ; this was fometimes fo intolerable, as to 
 caufe him, in a Kind of Frenzy, to flrike it with 
 Violence againft the Bed-poft j and by Degrees he 
 had brought himfelf to fuch a Habit of ftriking it, 
 that he imagin'd it affwag'd the Pain : 
 
 Was cur'd by the fame Kind of electrical Treat- 
 ment, as above, viz. Shocks convey'd to the Arm. 
 
 26. A Perfon in Mealcheapen-Jlreet, IVorcefter^ 
 had, within the Space of two or three Years pair, 
 feveral Attacks of the Gout, fmce the firft of 
 which, he had always a Stiffnefs and Pain in the 
 Joint of one of his great Toes, and for a confider- 
 able Time in both, particularly if he walk'd much ; 
 was quite cur'd with a few of thefe electrical Ope- 
 rations, which were perform'd by fetting him on 
 a Cake of Refm, and fo electrifing him, while a 
 Perfon on the Floor brought his Finger fo near 
 to the Part affected, as to caufe the Sparks of Fire 
 to burft from it. 
 
 27. Elifabeth Taylor i of Hennick^-hill^ near Wor- 
 cefter, troubled with fo fevere a Head-ach, that it 
 was thought to proceed from a Fever in the Brain ; 
 having baffled all the Efforts of Medicine for ele- 
 ven Years, was cur'd by Means of Electricity in a 
 few Weeks. 
 
 The Method of Treatment was by conveying 
 the electrical ^Ether through her Head, by Way 
 of Chocking. 
 
 28. The
 
 render d ufefuL 93 
 
 28. The fame Perfon, after taking Cold, was 
 feiz'd with a fore Throat, which continu'd grow- 
 ing worfe for the Space of fix Days -, at which 
 Time me attempted to fwallow a Bit of Bread, after 
 it was foak'd in her Tea-, but,_the Tafk proving too 
 hard, it caus'd her to retch and throw up the Tea 
 Hie had been drinking : The fame Morning me 
 came to Town to try the Effect of Electricity, and 
 was fo much mended by the Time fhe got Home 
 again, as to eat fome boil'd Mutton ; and conti- 
 nu'd mending fo faft, that two more of thofe 
 Operations made a perfect Cure on her, excepting 
 a fmall Hoarfenefs, which continu'd fomething 
 longer. 
 
 The Method of Cure was thus : 
 One End of the Connecting- wire or Chain being 
 brought to one Side of her Neck, at fome Dii- 
 tance from the Part affected, a fmall iron Bar was 
 laid as far on the oppolite Side ; then, at bringing 
 the other End of the Bar to the excited Apparatus, 
 the electrical ^Ether, as ufual, pafs'd through it in 
 a Right-line, from one metallic Body to the other j 
 by this Means it is very eafy to guide it through 
 any particular Part. 
 
 29. Having obferv'd the great Efficacy of elec- 
 trical Either, in foon relieving mod Kind of In- 
 flammations, I was very much inclined to think 
 the fame falutary Effects would appear, when ap- 
 ply'd to the St. Anthony's Fire i but, when a Cafe 
 of that Sort offer'd, the Inflammation was fo great, 
 that, atfirft Sight, I almoft defpair'd of Succefs. 
 
 About the Middle of the Day I had the firlt 
 Trial, and, before Night, the angry Swelling was 
 much appeas'd, and in a few Days quite cur'd. 
 
 The Operation was fimply Drawing off Sparks, 
 with a Finger or an iron Stile, while fhe was elec- 
 trified on the Refin. 
 
 30. Mr. Perkins> Surveyor of the Roads, a 
 
 2 Year
 
 94 Eleftricity rendelrd ufefuL 
 
 Year or two ago, had a flight Touch of what he 
 thought to be the Palfy, or fomething near a-kin 
 to it i for, all on a Sudden, his Arm dropp'd down 
 as effectually as in any paralytic Stroke, but by 
 rubbing it, the Ufe of it was again foon reftor'd. 
 
 The fame Day he had another, and, in fome little 
 Time after, he had a Third, which (till, after it 
 had been well rubb'd and chaf'd for a Time, be- 
 came fo well again as to have the Ufe of it, parti- 
 cularly at the upper and middle Joint ; but the 
 lower Part of it was by no Means fo flrong as be- 
 fore, nor could he have wrote his Name, if he 
 might have gain'd the Indies by doing it : After 
 this, he had a Defire to try the Effect of the elec- 
 trical Shock, which reliev'd him fo effectually as 
 that he was very foon perfectly well again ; the 
 Operation was Shocks in the Arm. 
 
 3 1 . The fame Perfon had lately a much worfe 
 Stroke of the fame Kind j all the right Side was 
 fo affected, that he could not walk without the Af- 
 fiftance of two to fupport him ; when it firft hap- 
 pened, he was out of Town, fo that it was two or 
 three Days before he could apply for Help again the 
 fame Way : After he had made Ufe of Electricity 
 two or three Times, he was able to walk with the 
 Support of one only -, and, in a Fortnight or three 1 
 Weeks, without any one to affift him, and foon be- 
 came well again. 
 
 The Operation was performed thus : 
 Firft Handing with his right Foot on the Con- 
 necting-linej coming from the Condenfing-phial - 
 then, at bringing a Finger of the right Hand to the 
 Apparatus* the Shock was given, and the Circuit 
 of jfeher continu'd from the Foot, the neareft Way 
 through the Body, to the Arm and each Finger 5 
 this was feveral Times repeated. 
 
 32. Elifabetb Toldervy, Servant to Mr. Squire^ 
 
 Troubled
 
 Eleflricity render d ufefuL 95 
 
 Troubled for ten or eleven Years with an un- 
 common Diforder, which Ihe call'd the Cramp : 
 This began indeed ibmething like the Cramp, par- 
 ticularly in her Legs, but very foon feiz'd her in 
 her Bread and Arm, in a different Shape j and was 
 as follows : 
 
 After the firft Beginning of the Fit, which was 
 under her left Breait, it darted from thence to her 
 Right, and back again to her left Breaft and Shoul- 
 der ; and then down to her Elbow, Wrift, ancj. 
 Joints of her Fingers, which were inftantly fo con- 
 traded, that, if me had not Time to catch up a 
 Handkerchief, &c. to grafp in her Hand, the 
 Nail of the Forefinger would oftentimes fo wound 
 the Thumb, during the Time of the Fit, as to 
 caufe the Blood to run down ; nor could the Fin- 
 ger which thus wounded the Thumb be remov'd, 
 till the Fit was gone off: The Elbow alfo was not 
 only contracted, but that Contraction, in Conjunc- 
 tion with that of her \Vrift, twifted and drew her 
 Hand behind her, turning it up again to the fame 
 Shoulder : Thofe Fits continued ibmetimes, for 
 near Half an Hour, with exquifite Fain : The 
 Times of Interval were very uncertain , ibmet imea 
 perhaps near a Month a-part, at other Times, 
 twice the fame Day. 
 
 The Force of the Contraction was fo great, that 
 it was out of the Power of two Perfons, Handing by 
 her, to hinder the Arm from being drawn behind 
 her, notwithstanding they us'd their utmofl Endea- 
 vours. 
 
 This inveterate Diforder which would yield to no 
 Medicine, foon gave Way to electrical Treatment, 
 and in a few Weeks quite left her, 
 
 Operation. Firft ftanding on the Connecting-line, 
 coming from theConderifing-phial r then, at bring- 
 ing a Finger of the Hand affected to the Appa- 
 ratus, the Shock was given, and the Circuit of JE- 
 2- ther
 
 g 6 Ele fir i city render d ufejul. 
 
 ther continu'd from the Feet the nearefl Way, th'fo* 
 the Body, to the Arm and Fingers j this was ieveral 
 Times repeated to each Finger. 
 
 33. Sufanna Rea, mHigh-ftreet^ Wcrcefter, trou- 
 bled with a Bronchocele, for ten or eleven Years, 
 which began on the right Side of her Windpipe^ 
 and gradually increas'd over it, till at lafl the Neck 
 was eighteen Inches and an Half about, and the 
 Swelling extended till it was more than half Way 
 round it. 
 
 This Swelling was electris'd, and Sparks drawn 
 from it once a Day for three Months or more, in 
 which Time it was not only confiderably lefien'd, 
 but, if the Mufcles were ftrain'd by Coughing, or 
 otherwife -, remarkable oblique Channels were in- 
 ftantly form'd at the largefl Place of the Swelling, 
 as if one Part had been feparated from the other. 
 
 After this, thofe electrical Operations were neg- 
 lected for many Months, but me has for more than 
 three Months paft attended again ; and, now, in- 
 Itead of Drawing off Sparks as before, the Opera- 
 tions are perform'd by Way of Shocking, which 
 appears to be the moft effectual Method. 
 
 Swellings of this Kind are the moft obftinate of 
 any I meet with, this having, in the whole Time, 
 taken no lefs than fix or feven Months, and the 
 Cure not yet compleated ; although the fmalleft 
 Part of the Neck is now not quite thirteen Inches, 
 and the largeft Part about fifteen and an Half. 
 
 What Swelling remains, is at one particular 
 Part only, and has, now, more of the Appearance 
 pf what it is vulgarly terrn'd a Wen in the 
 Neck, but is much more foft, and more loofe than 
 it was at firft, and appears to wafte much fafter, 
 than at the former Operations. 
 
 34. Another Perfon troubled with the fame 
 Kind of Malady, but not of long Continuance* 
 
 hag
 
 Eletfricity render d ufefuL 97 
 
 has lately began with the fame Operations ; which 
 Swelling abates much fafter than the former. 
 
 Operation. Let the Perfon take hold of the End 
 of the Connecting-chain or Wire of the Conden- 
 fmg-phial, and bring it to one Side of the Swel- 
 ling, and lay one End of another Wire or fmall 
 Rod to the other Side of it, then guide the other 
 End to the excited Apparatus, and it is done. 
 
 N. B> The Perfon always feels the Effects at the 
 Part where the Fire comes out of one metallic Body 
 into the Neck, and out again, at the other Part of 
 the Neck, into the other metallic Body, viz. the 
 Part where the Fire paffes through even the leaft 
 Part of Air : Were it not for the violent Agitation 
 it fuffers by paffing through the Air, there would, 
 in all Probability, be;no more Senfation at thofe 
 two external Parts, than at the other tender and 
 foft mufcular Parts contained between thofe two 
 Parts. 
 
 DIALOGUE IV. 
 
 B. ARE thofe Diforders abovemention'd all 
 J[j^ that you have taken any N otice of ? 
 A. Thofe are chiefly what I took fo much No- 
 tice of as to write down ; a great Part of which 
 were foon after I began thefe Experiments ; for, 
 although I at firft determined to write down all that 
 feem'd of any Confequence, yet, through Hurry of 
 other Bufmefs, it was neglected ; the greateft Part 
 of which were rheumatic Complaints j this Kind 
 of Treatment of the Rheumatifm feldom fails in 
 relieving young Perfons, particularly if took in 
 Time ; and, though many have been cur'd when 
 farther advanced in Years, yet fometimes it fails ; 
 and, what was very remarkable, a Man upwards of 
 feventy-three Years of Age, having been very much 
 afflicted for many Years, was conftantly reliev'd 
 H by
 
 98 Ekflricity render d ufeful. 
 
 by Electricity for the Prefent, and the Diforder as 
 conftantly return'd, and generally the fame Day ; 
 ibme others which receiv'd no Benefit, might per- 
 haps, had it been longer continu'd ; or perhaps 
 fail'd for Want of better Skill in applying it : But 
 I am ib far from admiring that it does not always 
 fucceed, that I have much greater Reafon to ad- 
 mire at finding it fucceed fo often, particularly at 
 firfl Setting out ; I having then no guiding Point 
 to fteer from, but public Papers, and thofe always 
 filent, as to the Way and Manner of the Opera- 
 tion. 
 
 B. Many of thofe Cafes, which you have been 
 relating, muft be own'd to be very extraordinary ; 
 but, if they are not look'd on as impofiibJe, yet will 
 they be thought very improbable : For can it be 
 fuppos'd credible that any one Thing can have 
 both a Power and Tendency to help in fo many 
 different Diforders, particularly as the mod falu- 
 tary Medicine in Nature has never been known 
 to be endu'd with fuch wonderful Qualities - y and 
 that all this Power mould be found where there has 
 by no Means appear'd fufficient Reafon to expect 
 it ? To fay the Truth, the Suppofition of fuch an 
 abfolute fpecifical Quality in Electricity is look'd 
 on by the moft judicious Part of Mankind as merely 
 chimerical, and as groundlefs, as to expect the 
 pretended great Feats to be perform'd in Agues, 
 by Charms'; or the ftill greater, by Bridget Boftic^ 
 Fafting-fpittle : But, fuppofing you had Ibme Rea- 
 fon to believe that you had no Way impos'd on 
 yourfelf, yet Conclufions are by no Means to be 
 precipitately form'd and fettled , for thofe cannot 
 lafely be made, but on the moft mature Delibera- 
 tion. 
 
 - A. All this muft be own'd to appear reafonable r 
 nnd I can't deny but I was much aftonifh'd and 
 torrfounded myfelf, at feeing fuch mighty Things 
 
 perform'd
 
 EkEiricity render d ufefuL 99 
 
 perform'd by Electricity j I mean, before I could 
 lee any rational Principle to found them on : But 
 after having purfu'd thole Experiments, and con- 
 fider'd the Nature of electrical /Ether very atten- 
 tively ; its great Subtilty and Power, its active and 
 enlivening Qualities, and its mighty Tendency to 
 accelerate the Motion of the Fluids in general, and 
 that of the Blood in particular ; and especially af- 
 ter having followed it fo long as to dilcover it to 
 be the very blither, or mod powerful fubtil Medi- 
 um, of Sir Ifaac Newton^ and other eminent Phi- 
 lofophers : Then, indeed, I began to think myfclf 
 on firm Ground, and concluded that I had been fo 
 far from purfuing an Ignis Fatuus in the Bogs, 
 that alt thoSe furprifmg Effects were, probably, 
 nothing but the neceffary Confequences of fuch a 
 moil powerful Agent, when thus determin'd and 
 directed to human Defects ; I therefore apply 'd my- 
 felf with greater Aflurance and much more Confi- 
 dence than before ; and the Succefs which attended 
 fuch electrical Experiments, more and more con- 
 firm'd me in my Opinion, that this was one great 
 End it was ordain'd to ferve, after it had been 
 thus fully and plainly difcover'd to us -, namely, 
 that of helping in bodily Infirmities. 
 
 Having fo much to found it on ; join'd with fo 
 many fuccefsful Experiments, and in fo many dif- 
 ferent Cafes, as muft neceflarily offer in the Space 
 of fix or feven Years, for I refus'd the Trial to 
 none, fo that, had I wrote down all the Cures, 
 both great and final], that were this Way effected, 
 they muft have been Sufficient of themfelves to have 
 fill'd a handSome Volume : It is therefore pre- 
 Sum'd they will not, after fo much Experience, be 
 look'd on as immature and ram Conclufions, eS- 
 pecially as the fame SucceSs, in many of the like 
 CaSes, Seems to be invariable ; and to hid fair, par- 
 ticularly in Inflammations, and Swellings in gene- 
 H 2 ral,
 
 loo Eleftricity rendered ufefuL 
 
 ral, and even in extreme Coldnefs of the Feet, for 
 a Specific *. 
 
 In fome longer Time, when we have feen fuch 
 Reafoning and Experiments ftill more confirm'd, 
 we mall, in all Probability, be fo far from think- 
 ing the whole electrical Phenomenon to be inex- 
 plicable, and the leveral Cures, perform'd by the 
 Power of it, like fo many Paradoxes ; that it is 
 prefum'd it will appear moft rational to expert 
 fuch, or like Effects ; particularly if the learned 
 Gentlemen of the Faculty (whofe peculiar Province 
 it is to fearch into the Nature and Caufes of fuch 
 Maladies, and to apply a fovereign Remedy to 
 each) had Leifure and Opportunity Aridity to ex- 
 amine into its Nature, Properties, and Effects ; 
 who might very probably foon be able, from a re- 
 gular Procefs of well chofen Experiments, to form 
 fo regular a Syftem of practical Rules, as to be ca- 
 pable of judging in what Cafes it might prove a 
 Specific, and in what Cafes not, efpecially when 
 they enter into their friendly Coniultations ; for 
 Want of which, I have admir'd, that, by being fo 
 injudicioufly apply'd, it has not many Times been 
 attended with real ill Confequences, 
 
 .Z>. Wherein do you imagine the fpecific Quali- 
 ty of the electrical Virtue chiefly to confift ? 
 
 A. The Way and Manner in which it is ob- 
 ferv'd to operate, when convey'd to the Fluids of 
 the Body, is an admirable Tendency to promote a 
 free Circulation, as is obvious by many of the 
 above- mention'd Diforders, where a too languid 
 Motion was vifibly the Cafe 
 
 Moft, alib, if not all Tumours, yield to this 
 Kind of Treatment in a wonderful Manner ; for, 
 
 * I have not had the Trial in many remarkable Cafes of the 
 Cramp, but, I tu^ife, in ail tirofc which I have experienced, it 
 never once fail'd me. 
 
 to
 
 Eleflricity render d ufefuL i o I 
 
 to fay the Truth, I fcarcely ever met with one fo 
 hard or ftubborn, but what it either broke or dif- 
 pers'd, even though it were of the fcrophulous 
 Kind * : Other flighter and more recent Swellings 
 are fo foon and eafily cur'd by Application of elec- 
 trical ^Ether, as if not able to ftand before it ; as 
 likewife Inflammations in as remarkable a Manner. 
 
 In a Word, not only the moft common Difor- 
 ders, which are caus'd by an Obftruction of the 
 Motion of the Fluids in general, but even the 
 Fluid of the Nerves in particular, whether it be the 
 nervous Fluid of Anatomifts, or this fluid j^Etherj 
 for, where the moft remarkable Numbnefs has 
 happen'd, it has been almoft initantaneoufly taken 
 away by Means of Electricity, when timely ap- 
 ply'd ; and when the like has happen'd, and been 
 let alone fome longer Time, I myfelf have made 
 Ufe of it but twice, before it was cur'd : Palfies, 
 alfo, when taken foon after their firft Coming, of- 
 ten yield to this Kind of Treatment, of which 
 there are not wanting a Number of Inftances. 
 
 B. There was indeed great Expectation from 
 Electricity in that very Diforder, but now it feems 
 to be entirely at an End, fmce the Account in the 
 Gent. Mag. for Nov. 1755, which informs us of 
 two paralytic Cafes, in the County Hofpital, at 
 Shrewjbury ; in one of which it produced no vifible 
 Effect, and, in the other, it twice rendered a par- 
 tial Palfy univerfal ? 
 
 A, That Account, I have Reafon, as well as 
 you, to believe was no fmall Difappointment to 
 many eminent Phyficians, who were in great 
 Hopes and Expectation of, one Day or other, fee- 
 
 * If taken in Time, it feems to open the Obftruftions, by 
 dilating the PafTages, and accelerating the Motion of the Fluids; 
 but, when let alone a longer Time, it brings them to a more 
 {needy Digeftion than any other Means. 
 
 H 3 ing
 
 102 Electricity render 'd ufeful. 
 
 ing the falutary Effects of Electricity in that parti- 
 cular Diforder : Thofe two remarkable Cafes you 
 mention, appeared juft at a Time when I was try- 
 ing the Effect of Electricity on a Perfon who had 
 a Palfy in the Tongue, which had taken away the 
 Ufe of it, as to render her fo fpeechlefs, as not to 
 be underftood. 
 
 This Diforder feem'd to yield to the very firft 
 Operation, and, after a few more, me could fpeak 
 many Words intelligibly, yet, notwithstanding it 
 bid fo fair for a fpeedy Cure, (lie neglected the Ufe 
 of thefe Means all at once ; but the before- menti- 
 on'd Account in the Magazine, happening juft at 
 the fame* Time, fo alarm'd, that I was not much 
 at a Lofs for the Reafon of her not venturing any 
 more Trials. 
 
 I had been accuftom'd to hear electrical Treat- 
 ment of bodily Diforders fo banter'd, ridicul'd, 
 and mifreprefented, that I imagin'd there might 
 probably be fome unfkilful Management, Mifrepre- 
 fentation or the like, in that Account, if not down- 
 right foul Play ; I was therefore determined to fee, 
 if poflible, the Original, in the Philofo-pkical T'ranf- 
 attions, from whence the Account was taken ; and, 
 to mew I was not miftaken, I beg Leave to recite 
 the Whole. 
 
 Article 94^, Part 2. Vol. 48, of the Philofophi- 
 cal Tranfactions, printed in the Tear 1754 ; 
 Part of a Letter from Dr. Hart to Mr. Wil- 
 liam Watforij F. R. S. giving fome Accounts 
 of the Effects of Eletfricity, in the County Hof- 
 pitaly at Shrewfbury. 
 
 SIR, Salop) Nov. 5, 1754. 
 
 " \\J E have try ' d the Effe( ^ of Electricity in 
 " VV many different Cafes, though I can't 
 " fay we have had much Succefs in its Ufe, ex- 
 cept
 
 Electricity render d ufiful. I o 3 
 
 44 cept in the Cafe of one Woman, whofe left Arm 
 44 had been paralytic fome Years, fo as to be ever 
 44 abfolutely motionlefs, and fenfelefs of Heat, 
 44 Cold, or Pain, and remain'd fo, notwithftanding 
 " all the Endeavours us'd to remedy it. 
 
 " This Perfon had her Arm ele<5tris'd frequent- 
 44 ly, and the Sparks drawn from it, and the 
 " greateft Blows given to it, for many Days fuc- 
 44 cefiively, whereby, in about eight or nine Days 
 44 Time, her Arm grew fenfible of Pain and 
 44 Warmth, &c. and me had fome little Motion 
 44 of her Fingers, being able to grafp any Thing 
 44 with her Arm down, or before her ; but me 
 " could not lift it up to her Head any better. This 
 " encourag'd us to continue the Eleclrifing it three 
 44 Weeks or a Month longer ; in which Time me 
 " had got fome little Strength in her Arm, could 
 44 open and Ihut her Fingers, and lift it half Way 
 44 to her Head : But the Pain me had from the 
 46 Eledrifmg, and the Fear that increas'd conti- 
 44 nually of new Shocks, made her obftinately re- 
 " fift ufmg it any longer ; and me choie, me faid, 
 44 rather to remain Paralytic, than undergo fuch 
 tc Operations any more ; for which Reafon, me 
 44 was difcharg'd out of the Infirmary, with fuch 
 44 little Relief as above-mention'd, and I never 
 44 have heard more of her : I wifh, indeed, me had 
 44 try'd it a While longer, as it bid fo fair to do 
 4t her Service : This was the only Cafe which 
 " gave us any reafonable Hopes from its Ufe." 
 
 Here it is prefum'd I may fairly ftop > before I 
 mention the other Cafe, fo long at leait, as to ap- 
 peal to the candid Reader, whether the Publifher 
 of that Account, as it Hands in the Magazine, has 
 Ihew'd himfelf an impartial Writer ; or not rather 
 fome groveling Mortal, who imagin'd he had fome 
 private Interefl that would be rifqu'd, if bodily 
 Defe&s could be reliev'd by Means of Electricity ; 
 H 4 otherwife
 
 1 04 Electricity render d ufeful. 
 
 otherwife he could never have endeavour'dto ftifle 
 the Knowledge of fo extraordinary a Cafe, by tel- 
 ling the World no vifwle Effect was -produced. 
 
 $u<ere, Whether fuch a Mifreprefentation does 
 not allow fufficient Room to fufpect, that all 
 which we find tranfcrib'd from the Philofophical 
 franfattions, on that Page and the next, (of the 
 Magazine] was for the Sake of thofe few Lines, 
 in order to degrade Electricity ; and that what 
 we find relating to other Things, before and after, 
 were only defign'd as a Blind, or Skreen, to hide 
 his Intention ; otherwife, as above, what could be 
 meant by publifhing fo great a Falfhood, as that 
 it produc'd no Effect, when there appear'd the 
 greateft Probability of a Cure, in an otherwife in- 
 curable Diforder, and which had continu'd not 
 only rnotionlefs, but fo dead, as to be infenfible 
 of Heat, Cold, or other Pain, for Years before ? 
 
 Such Snakes in the Grafs have been no fmall 
 Hindrance to the Progrefs of electrical Treatment 
 of human Diforders, who are glad of taking all 
 Opportunities to ridicule and expofe it, or elfe en- 
 deavour to make it appear terrible, as in the above 
 Magazine, to deter others from attempting Trials 
 of that Kind ; and, in order the more effectually 
 to expofe it, confidently deny, that any real Cure 
 was ever effected by fuch Means, and that, to 
 their own certain Knowledge, never any Benefit 
 was found at particular Hofpitals, tho', they af- 
 fured them, the Method had been often attempted ; 
 and then, with a grave Countenance, appeal to 
 their own Underftanding, whether they could 
 think, that, by only Rubbing of Glafs, Amber, or 
 the like, any fuch mighty Feats as were pretended 
 to, were poffible to be performed ; and thus they 
 plaufibly deceive thofe who are not expected to 
 know better. 
 
 Were
 
 Ektfricity render d ufeful 105 
 
 Were there really no Defign, the beft Excufe 
 that can be made for thofe mighty Pretenders to 
 Reafon, is, that they are as ignorant of the Na- 
 ture and Properties of this aetherial Spirit, as thofe 
 they are reaibning with -, but, notwithftanding 
 this, it is prefum'd, they can't endure to be thought 
 thus ignorant. 
 
 Thefe Things brought to my Mind what a cer- 
 tain Perfon, ikill'd in Surgery, had obferv'd to 
 the youhg Lady, Cafe the i%th, when he faw the 
 Cure in its Progrefs, taking fuch ample Steps, 
 and, perhaps, as he might imagine, almoft com- 
 pleated, (altho s it happen'd otherwife, on Account 
 of the Relapfe, by her dropping the Ufe of Elec- 
 tricity all at once) viz. he defir'd her to remem- 
 ber, that he had told her before, Time only muft 
 effect the Cure : But, furely, he had great Reafon 
 to believe, that neither Time only, or Chance only, 
 was the Caufe. 
 
 I muft own, when I have been relating this Ac- 
 count, I could not forbear being fo pleafant, as to 
 remark, how exceeding favourable Time was to 
 the young Lady's Diforder, while the Cure was 
 attempted, by Means of Electricity, and how un- 
 favourable when under any other Method of Cure. 
 
 B. Do you imagine the Editor of the Magazine 
 would be guilty of fuch a Mifreprefentation of a 
 Matter of Fad ? 
 
 A. I am not willing, by any Means, to think 
 him the Perfon, becaufe I fee no End he could 
 have in doing it ; and it may reafonably be fup- 
 pos'd, when any Thing is tranfcrib'd from the 
 Philofophical Tranfaffions, and fent him, he expects 
 fomething very curious, and therefore inferts it, 
 without farther Examination. 
 
 The other Cafe, mention'd by Dr. Hart, was as 
 follows : 
 
 " A young
 
 io6 Electricity render d ufeful. 
 
 *' A young Girl, about fixteen, whofe right 
 " Arm was paralytic, on being electris'd the fe- 
 " cond Time, became univerfally paralytic, and 
 " remain'd fo about a Fortnight, when the in- 
 " creas'd Palfy was remov'd, indeed, by the Me- 
 " dicines which her Cafe indicated ; but the firft 
 " difeas'd Arm remain'd as before : I mould have 
 " mention'd too, that this Arm was greatly wafted 
 " in Comparifon of the other. 
 
 " However, notwithftanding the former bad Ac- 
 " cident, I had a Mind to try the Effect of Elec- 
 " tricky on her again, which we renew'd ; and, 
 <e after about three or four Days Uie, me became, 
 " the fecond Time, univerfally paralytic, and even 
 " loll her Voice and Tongue, and with Difficulty 
 " could fwallow : This confirm'd me in my Opi- 
 " nion, that the electrical Shocks had occafion'd 
 *' thefe Symptoms. We therefore omitted it, and 
 " the Girl, tho j me grew better of her additional 
 '. e Falfy, for fo I call it, remain'd as bad as before 
 " of her firft." 
 
 It muft be own'd, here does not appear the 
 fame Mifreprefentation , yet, what ferves his Pur- 
 pofe better ;. for here appears a Fact, exactly, as 
 it were, adapted to his Liking, and very fit to call 
 a Slur on what he was aiming at ; but then here 
 plainly appears fomething like Want of fufficient 
 Skill in the Operator , and the chief Realbn for 
 my fearching into the original Account, was, be- 
 caufe I imagin'd the Shocks given muft be exceed- 
 ing great, otherwife they could never have caus'd 
 a univerfal Palfy ; nothing being more likely to 
 produce a Palfy, than the ftrongeft Blows that 
 may be given by Means of Electricity, particularly, 
 if the prepar'd Phial be enlarg'd to the Size of Mr. 
 Rackffrow's ; for then the whole nervous Syftem 
 might poflibly be fo fhock'd, as to take away the 
 Ufe of the Limbs of the ftrongeft Man living, and, 
 
 by
 
 Eletfrictfy render d ufeful. 107 
 
 by the Power of two fuch GlafTes, perhaps, to 
 ftrike him dead in an Inftant : And, altho* we will 
 not fuppofe any fuch large Glafs was made Ufe of 
 in the above-mention'd Cafe, yet, the united Force 
 of feveral fmaller ones might, as effectually, take 
 away the Ufe of the Limbs of the latter Perfon, 
 who was, perhaps, at beft, but weakly. 
 
 The Confideration of thefe Things ought, at 
 leaft, to caution againft mocking the whole Body, 
 when only an Arm, &V. is affected ; and, that 
 the difeas'd Arm only may receive the Shock, let 
 that Part only of the Body be made a Part of the 
 Circuit, as above directed, form'd for that Pur- 
 pofe, and then other Parts will be fure to receive 
 no Harm, were the Blows given ever fo hard ; 
 and, in the promifmg Succefs of the Perfon before- 
 mention'd, who had a Palfy in her Tongue *, the 
 Operation was perform'd after the fame Manner, 
 viz. 
 
 The Chain from the Condenfing-phial was 
 brought to the Origin of the Nerves, at the hin- 
 der Part of the Neck ; then, a Wire being laid to 
 her Tongue, the Shock was afterwards produc'd, 
 by bringing the other End of it to the hooked 
 Leading- wire, or elfe to the Gun-barrel on which 
 it was fufpended. 
 
 N. B. At fuch Times as the Experiments are 
 found to fucceed beft of all, and if there may be 
 any Danger of having Shocks too great, in any 
 particular Cafe, then it may not be amifs to make 
 Ufe of a four Ounce inftead of an eight Ounce 
 Condenfing-phial . 
 
 B. Why mould you think the Doctor's Indif- 
 cretion was the Caufe of the bad Effects mention'd 
 in the latter Cafe ? 
 
 Page i 02. 
 
 A. You
 
 1 08 Ele&ricity render d ufeful. 
 
 A. You miftake me ; I don't, by any Means, 
 think the Doctor to blame, who appears to have 
 acted no otherwife than any ingenious and candid 
 Enquirer, that had nothing more at Heart than 
 the Health of his Patient ; he relating the Whole 
 in an impartial Manner, and expreffing himfelf in 
 a compafiionate Way, and with no fmall Concern 
 at the Foolifhnefs of the firft of the two Patients, 
 in fo obftinately refufing to go thro* with what 
 promis'd fo fair for a Cure : But the electrical 
 Operator did not feem to underftand the Nature 
 and Properties of it, at leaft in the Cure of bodily 
 Diforders, otherwife he'd never have imagin'd, 
 that the greateft Shocks were the moft effectual, 
 in that or any other Diforder, becaufe, if he un- 
 derftood it, he mufl necelfarity have known, that 
 they might be given fo ftrong, as greatly to injure 
 the Body, and 
 
 Moderate Shocks are, for moft Complaints, 
 found to be of greateft Service -, thofe which I 
 make Ufe of in common, being what are defcrib'd 
 by many, rather as an Uneafmefs than real Pain ; 
 and, in between fix and feven Years Practice, I 
 fcarce ever met with any, who receiv'd Benefit by 
 it, but were afterwards fond of it ; then what 
 Blows muft be given to a Perfon to caufe her fo 
 obftinately to refufe what had given fuch a hope- 
 ful Profpect of the Recovery of no lefs than a loft 
 Arm ? But her Reafon the Doctor gives in thefe 
 Words : 
 
 " The Pain me had from the Electrifmg, and 
 " the Fear that increas'd continually of new * 
 ' Shocks, made her obftinately refift ufmg it any 
 " longer:" And it muft feem fomething remark- 
 able, that fuch powerful Shocks mould ever do 
 
 * Probably, new-invented Shocks, fo as to have them ftronger 
 than ordinary. 
 
 her
 
 "Elettrlcity render d ufeful. 109 
 
 her fo much Service as they did ; which, had me 
 been of a weak Conftitution, might poffibly have 
 render'd her as univerfally paralytic as the other. 
 
 As the Cafe of the Palfy in the Tongue, before- 
 mention'd, afforded me not a fair Trial, I beg 
 Leave, in this Place, to take Notice of a remark- 
 able Cafe of the like Kind : 
 
 Edinburgh, April 1 8. A remarkable Inftance of 
 the Power of the eleclrical Aura has lately hap- 
 pen'd in, this Place. Robert Moubray, who, in the 
 Beginning of 'January, was ftruck with a compleat 
 Palfy of the Tongue, and, fmce that Time, en- 
 tirely loft the Ufe of his Speech , was taken into 
 the Royal Infirmary fome Weeks thereafter, where, 
 by the Ufe of Remedies, he was, in a great Mea- 
 fure, reliev'd of other Symptoms that attended- 
 him , but, the Palfy of his Tongue remaining ob- 
 ftinate, he was at laft order'd, by the Phyficians, 
 to lay afide the Ufe of all Medicines, that he might 
 fairly try what Eledrifmg would do in fuch a Cafe: 
 Accordingly, laft Week it was begun, and by 
 Saturday he was able to extend and put out his 
 Tongue, which, till then, had remain'd dead and 
 motionlefs : On Monday he could plainly articulate 
 a few Words ; and, after repeating the Experi- 
 ment on Tuefday, he fpoke di Hindi y, to his own 
 great Joy, and the Surprife of all who were pre- 
 fent. Gentlemen's Magazine for April 1751, 
 Page 152.' 
 
 B. Although you feem fo pofitive, that if Gen- 
 tlemen of the Faculty were to bufy themfelves in 
 fearching out the Virtues of this electrical ./Ether, 
 and to apply it to Diforders of the human Body, 
 they would foon acquire fuch a Knowledge of it, 
 as to be able to perform great Things ; yet have 
 we hot been fufficiently inform'd to the contrary, 
 by the Gentleman's Magazine for July 1755? Are 
 not there various Diforders mention'd to have been 
 
 treated
 
 1 1 o Electricity render d ufeful. 
 
 treated by this Method, at the famous Hofpital at 
 Upfal in -Sweden^ by a Phyfician ? Which Method 
 of Treatment was continu'd for a confiderable 
 Time , and when he comes to his Conclufion, and 
 fums up the whole, it appears to be very inconfi- 
 derable, nay, even fometimes it has actually done 
 real Harm ; and this Account, we are afTur"d by 
 the Publilher, is of indubitable Authority. 
 
 A. That Account may poflibly be very well at- 
 tefled, for which Reafon, and fome others, it may 
 not be improper to enquire into the Particulars ; I 
 would firft therefore take Notice of thofe Difor- 
 ders, in which he allows it to have been of real 
 Service ; and then confider of thofe, wherein it 
 has appear'd to be of little Effect, either the one 
 Way, or the other ; and, laflly, of thofe in which 
 it was found to be really prejudicial. 
 
 Of bodily Difeafes and Maladies., in which Elec- 
 tricity has been found ferinceable at Upfal in 
 Sweden, by Dr. ZETZELL. Gent. Mag. 
 for July 1755. 
 
 Of Contractions. 
 
 Lectricity has certainly remov'd fo many 
 Complaints of this Kind, as to deferve be- 
 " ing tried wherever the like occur. 
 
 1. " One who had loft the Ufe of his Limbs, 
 " from Cold, for feveral Years, was, at length, 
 " quite reftor'd by the Ufe of Electricity. 
 
 2. " Another, whofe Knee-joint had been above 
 " five Years contracted from a Rheumatifm, was 
 " able to ftraighten it after twice Electrifying. 
 
 " But, in attempting the Cure of fuch Diforders 
 " by this Method, it is of great Importance to 
 " diftinguifh carefully which are the Mufcles that 
 " are affected , for it is thofe alone from which 
 
 " Sparks
 
 Ektfricity render d ufeful. m 
 
 " Sparks are to be drawn, and by no Means 
 " from their Antagonifts, which, on the other 
 " Hand, mould be relax'd by warm Fomenta- 
 " tions, applied for fome Hours together, and af* 
 '* terwards anointed with fome emollient Unguents. 
 " At the Beginning of this Courfe, the Stomach 
 " ought to be fortified with fome generous Li- 
 " quor, left the Matter removed from the Joint 
 " mould be depofited upon the nobler Parts *. 
 " The electrical Shock is not near fo efficacious, 
 " as limply Drawing out the Sparks -f. 
 
 In Deafnefs and Singing of the Ears. 
 
 3. " When Deafnefs arifes from indurated Wax, 
 " the Drawing off Sparks by an iron Stile will help 
 " to dhTolve it, or, if the -Deafnefs has follow'd a 
 " Fever, it will promote the Digeftion of the Me- 
 *' taftafis ; but in a catarrhal Deafnefs, arifmg ori- 
 " ginally from a humid Air, and in Singing of 
 " the Ears, all that could be done by Electricity, 
 '' turn'd to a very little Account. 
 
 In the Epikpfy. 
 
 4. " In fome Epileptics, it has certainly been 
 " ferviceable ; but if the Complaint was heredi- 
 " tary, or owing to a Fright, it did no fenfible 
 *' Good or Harm. 
 
 In Felons. 
 
 5. " The electrical Sparks bring them to a 
 " fpeedy Digeftion. 
 
 * This Caution might very well have been fpar'd. 
 
 f This is juft according to the Situation of the Diforder ; if 
 fuperficial, then Drawing off Sparks is obferv'd to be the belt 
 Way ; but, if more deep, then Shocks are found to be moft 
 effectual. 
 
 In
 
 112 Eletfridty rendered tifefuL 
 
 In Ganglions. 
 
 6. " In the only three Cafes of a Ganglion, on 
 *.* which Electricity was tried, it difpers'd them 
 " perfectly. 
 
 In the Tooth-ach. 
 
 7. " Where the Anguifh was owing to hollow 
 " Teeth, or from a catarrhal or fcorbutic Habit, 
 " it feldom fail'd of producing a perfect Cure, 
 ' though at firft the Pain feem'd to be increas'd, 
 *' and rag'd for twenty-four * Hours, after which 
 t it went off entirely. The Sparks mould be 
 " drawn from the affected Tooth, by Means of 
 " an iron Stile, -j- for a good while together. 
 
 In Palftes. 
 
 8. " The Commotion with the Leyden Phial has 
 *' been made with Paralytics here without any 
 " Benefit; nor were theMufcles irritated, by draw- 
 *' ing Sparks from them, with any better Confe- 
 <e quence , yet fometimes, by Chance, the Pain 
 tc has been fo fevere on an otherwife infenfible 
 " Part, as to be hardly tolerable , and, when fuch 
 " Parts were once difcover'd, the Sparks were 
 " continually drawn from them alone : This was 
 " repeated fo often on a Citizen of Upfal, who was 
 tc a true Paralytic, that he was perfectly cur'd 
 " thereby." 
 
 Of inveterate Head-achs. 
 
 9. Of confirm'd and inveterate Head-achs I ne- 
 ver had much Experience ; but, even in thofe, he 
 
 * Many are almoft inftantly cur'd, and I fcarce ever re- 
 member any one that complain'd of its Raging for a Minute 
 afterwards. 
 
 t A few fmall Shocks, performed as at Page 131, are found 
 to be much better. 
 
 takes
 
 render d ufeful. 1 1 3 
 
 takes Notice, that, where proper Internals were 
 given at the fame Time, the defir'd Effect was 
 Ipecdily produc'd. 
 
 In very bad Fits of the Head-ach, I have often 
 made Ufe of Electricity, with furprifing Succefs -, 
 and the firft Experiment I ever attempted, relating 
 to Diforders, was on one who had a continu'd 
 raging Fit for a Fortnight, which was prefently 
 cur'd. 
 
 N. B. In all the above- mention'd nine Dif- 
 orders$ the Doctor allows Electricity to have been 
 of Service, either more or lefs. But, 
 
 In the two following, he could not find it of 
 any Benefit, nor does he charge it with doing any 
 Harm. 
 
 Hyfterical Diforders. 
 
 1. "In thefe it was never found to be attended 
 " with the leaft Benefit." 
 
 Amaurofis, or Guttaferena. 
 
 2. "In two Patients, the electrical Sparks were 
 " drawn from the Parts near the Eyes, without 
 " the leaft Benefit ; nor was the electrical Shock, 
 " from the Phial, found to fucceed better ; fo that 
 " Electricity promifes little in this Diforder." 
 
 He likewife mentions two other Diforders, in 
 which it had but little Effect , but in thofe I ne- 
 ver had any Opportunity for Trials, namely, Cof- 
 tivenefs and Agues. 
 
 In the three following he thinks it to be very, 
 prejudicial. 
 
 In the Sciatica. 
 
 i. "In fome, the Pains have been greatly ap- 
 
 " peas'd by Electrifation, but return'd again after- 
 
 " Wards ; in fome it was not at all abated ; in o- 
 
 " thers the Succefs appear'd extraordinary at firft, 
 
 I " but
 
 1 1 4 Eleffricity render d ufefitl. 
 
 " but after a few Days the Diforder was turn'd up- 
 " on the Intellines, with excruciating Torments. 
 
 In Rbeumatifms. 
 
 2. " What has been faid before, about the Scia- 
 " tica, may be affirm'd of this Diforder. 
 
 In the Gout. 
 
 3. ** Pains f the Joints were frequently ob- 
 ** ferv'd to ceafe, by exciting the electrical Sparks ^ 
 " but then the gouty Matter feem'd to be repell'd 
 " inward, and produc'd Symptoms of more griev- 
 " ous Confequence : So that it was often found, 
 '* that, if this Application was continu'd, Pains of 
 " the Head,, Vertigo's, Sieknefs at Stomach, and 
 " violent Gripings would take Place, which again 
 tc difappear'd r as foon as Nature was able to repel 
 " the morbid Matter back to the Joints. Some, 
 " under this Treatment,, urin'd very plentifully, 
 * and fell into copious Sweats in the Night, which 
 " gave Hopes, that in Time the Obftinacy of the 
 " Difeafe might be thus fubdu'd - v but Experience 
 " prov'd the contrary, the before-mention'd ill 
 " Symptoms all returning in a feverer Degree j 
 " fo that all Hopes of Benefit to gouty Patients,. 
 " from Eleftricity,. are at an End." 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 L On Hyjierical Complaints. 
 
 IN thofe, tho r the Doctor never knew it of any 
 Service, yet have we no fmall Hopes, not only 
 rrom Cafes i9th and 2Oth, but from other Trials, 
 already made (together with the Properties ob- 
 ferv'd in this enlivening and vivifying Spirit) it i 
 expected, that there are few Diftempers, in which, 
 it will be found much more effectual ; for as the 
 3 mofl:
 
 Electricity render d ufefaL 115 
 
 mod remarkable Property of the electrical Either, 
 in thefe Kind of Operations, is obferv'd to be in 
 raifmg the Spirits, by accelerating the Motion of 
 the Blood, and other Fluids of the Body j fo no 
 Diflemper can require it more *. 
 
 But, in this inactive Diforder, it is not to be done 
 by Halves ; not for a few Minutes only, which is 
 fufficient in fpme others, particularly if it has ta- 
 ken deep Root ; but the Perfon to be electris'd 
 ought to ftand or fit on original Electrics for an 
 Hour in the Morning, and another in the Even- 
 ing, each Day : If two Hours each Day can't be 
 comply'd with, let it be two Half-hours; this 
 may be firft practis'd,with fometimes fimply Draw- 
 ing off Sparks , afterwards with fome light Shocks, 
 and, then if the Diforder require it, to be increas'd 
 with more : Such Proceedings I feldom found to 
 fail of defir'd Effects. 
 
 N. B. The falutary Effects of fimply Eleftrify- 
 ing appear to be produc'd by Refpiration only j 
 for a Perfon, being electris'd on the Refm-cake, is 
 fo invelop'd in the electrical Either, as necefiarily 
 to breathe much more of it than at other Times:, 
 and which as neceffarily appears to accelerate the 
 Motion of the Blood in general, prov'd by Mr. 
 Rackftrow's Experiment, p. 67. 
 
 * Some have objected, that to raife the Spirits by any artifi- 
 cial Means is of very little Service, any otherwife than for th 
 prefent ; and a Perfon is, many Times, obferv'd to be the worfe 
 for it afterwards : It is true, indeed, when they are raifed by 
 any Kind of fpirituous Liquor, this is generally the Cafe ; but 
 when raifed by this aftive Agent, that is, by accelerating the 
 Motion of the Blood by Refpiration, the Effefts are much more 
 permanent, and rather like the chearful Satisfaction, which we 
 experience after the Hearing of good News. This Method of 
 raifing the Spirits will, in all Probability, be found much to 
 exceed the only fuccefsful Method befides, which, perhaps, can 
 be prefcrib'd in that inactive Diforder, namely, bodily Exercife. 
 
 I 2 2. On
 
 1 1 6 Eleftricity render d ufefuL 
 
 II. On the dmaurofis, or Guttaferena. 
 
 As to Diftempers of the Eyes, I was never bold 
 enough to engage with them, except in Inflamma- 
 tions, or the like, in which it generally fucceeds ; 
 and, indeed, Inflammations of every Kind it is ob- 
 ferv'd to difperfe .in a very remarkable Manner, 
 moft probably by dilating the capillary PaKTages, 
 as well as ieparating and dividing the clogg'd Par- 
 ticles of the itagnating Fluids, and removing the 
 Obftrudtion, by accelerating the Motion of the 
 Blood. 
 
 This Operation is beft perform'd by fetting them 
 on the Refin, and drawing off the Sparks. 
 
 In Anfwer to what is faid concerning the Gutta 
 ferena above- mention'd, viz. that he could never 
 obferve the leaft Benefit to accrue to the two un- 
 happy Patients labouring under it ; I muft beg 
 Leave to relate a particular Cafe of that Sort which 
 happen 'd at Home, and which appears to be of as 
 unqueilionable Authority as thofe from Sweden. 
 
 ILxtraB of a Letter from Mr. FJLOYER, Sur- 
 geon at Dorchefter, to Dr. BENT, a Phyji- 
 dan. at Exeter. 
 
 I HAVE lately had two or three Opportu- 
 nities of trying the Effects of Electricity on 
 paralytic Perfons with Succefs : What moft of all 
 tends to prove its good Effect on the human Bo- 
 dy, is the following Cafe : 
 
 A Boy, of about feven Years old, was taken 
 blind fuddenly in both his Eyes, without any pre- 
 vious Fever, Pains of the Head, or any other In- 
 difpofition of Body, which one might reafonably 
 imagine to be the Caufe of his Biindnefs. About 
 3 or 4 Days after he had loft his Sight, he was 
 
 brought
 
 Ekftricity render d ufefuL 1 1 7 
 
 brought to me for my Advice. Upon infpecting 
 his Eyes, I found the Pupil of each fo entirely 
 dilated, that I could not difcover of what Colour 
 the Iris was, not the lead Verge of it to be feen, 
 but the Cornea, tranfparent, appear'd one conti- 
 nu'd black Spot. I afk'd his Father, if he ever 
 took Notice what Colour his Eyes were, before he 
 loft his Sight : He told me they were of a remark- 
 able light-grey Colour. Upon fhutting his Eye- 
 lids, and rubbing them a confiderable While, and 
 then expofing them fuddenly to the Sun-beams, I 
 could not perceive the lead Degree of Contraction 
 in the circular Fibres of the Iris, and the Pupils 
 remaining the fame, whether the Eyes were open 
 or fhut, or whether in the Dark or Light ; nei- 
 ther could he perceive any Difference when an 
 opaque Body was interpos'd between his Eyes and 
 the Light of the Sun, and when there was not : 
 In fhort, he was as blind as if he had had his Eyes 
 cut out. I told his Parents, it was my Opinion 
 he would never fee again as long as he liv'd, for 
 there was feldom or never a Cure for fuch Difor- 
 ders of the Eyes, taking the Cafe to be a perfect 
 Gutta ferena in both Eyes, occafion'd, as is gene- 
 rally imagin'd, by fome Obftructions in the Optic 
 Nerve^ and confequently paralytic j I determin'd 
 with myfelf to try the Effect of the electrical Shock 
 upon the Lad, efpecially as I had met with Sue- 
 cefs in fome Cafes before. Accordingly, I or- 
 der'd him to be brought to me next Morning, when 
 faftening an iron Wire, coming from the Conden- 
 fmg-phial fill'd with the Filings of Iron, to his 
 Leg, and another round his Head, which Wire, 
 after the Phial was fatiated with the electrical Mat- 
 ter, I brought near the Conductor, and produc'd 
 a furprifing Snap, which ftruck him backward, 
 and made him cry out terribly, fo that it was with 
 the greateft Difficulty we could perfuade him to 
 I 3 repeat
 
 1 1 8 Elcftricity render d ufeful. 
 
 repeat the fame -, but we at laft prevail'd, and 
 gave him three Shocks more. That Day he was 
 put to Bed, and continu'd there till the next Morn- 
 ing, fweating profufely all the Time ; but agree- 
 ably alarm'd his Father in the Morning, by cry- 
 ing out, he could fee the Window. When he was 
 brought to me the fecond Time, I could perceive 
 a fmall circular Rim, of a light -grey Colour, round 
 the Outfide of the Iris, and obferv'd that he knew 
 when I put my Hand between his Eyes and the 
 Light of the Sun : This gave me great Encou- 
 ragement to repeat what we had done the Day be- 
 fore. The next Day almoft half the Iris could be 
 feen, with fome fmall Degree of Contraction and 
 Dilatation : The third Day he could difcover and 
 diftinguifli Objects : The fourth Day he could di- 
 ftinguifh Colours, with a brifk Contraction and 
 Dilatation of the Iris : The fifth Day, after re- 
 peating the Experiment, I obferv'd the Iris to 
 contract and dilate as well as ever , and, upon a 
 ftridt Examination, found the Boy's Sight perfect- 
 ly reftor'd, the Colour of the Iris the fame as be- 
 fore he loft his Sight, and the Eyes, in every Re- 
 fpect, as well as if no Diforder had happen'd to 
 them. 
 
 Dorcbejtcr, ANTHONY PLOYER. 
 
 Afe;Z3, 1751. 
 
 'To Dr. BENT, in Exeter. 
 
 WHEN I fent you the Cafe of the blind 
 Boy, I forgot to mention one Circum- 
 ftance, which was the Application of a Blifter 
 Plaifter to the Nape of his Neck, the Day before 
 he was firft electris'd. As the Parents of the Boy 
 jmportun'd me very much to do ibmething for 
 him, this was the firft Thing I thought on ; but, 
 after I had determined with myielf to try the Ef- 
 fects
 
 EkEtricity render d ufefuL j 1 9 
 
 feds of the electrical Shock, I never once thought 
 of the Blifter, till a Day or two after the electrical 
 Experiments, when the Mother of the Boy defir'd 
 to know what fhould be done to the Blifter, for it 
 was almoft dried up. I told her fhe fhould take no 
 farther Care about it, that it did not fignify any 
 Thing, and that I had forgot I had order'd it. 
 Whether this Blifter had any Share in recovering 
 the Boy's Sight, or not, I will not take upon me 
 to fay ; but I would not omit any one Circum- 
 ftance, which, if not mention'd, might perhaps, 
 after it was known, occasion a Sulpicion of an 
 Jmpofition. 
 
 I have got the Cafe attefted by thofe only who 
 faw the Boy at firft, and faw him electris'd every 
 one of the Days -, had the Satisfaction to lee his 
 Sight return gradually ; and were Eye-witnefTei 
 to every Circumitance. 
 
 The Father has been examin'd by Hundreds 
 to the Truth of it. The Boy is frequently fent 
 for by Gentlemen of the Country, when they come 
 to Town, to examine him. In mort, every Body 
 in this Part of the Country is fatisfied of the Truth 
 of it. 
 
 Since I wrote you my laft, I have cur'd two 
 Girls of Obftructions, by the electrical Shock, 
 one of whom took Medicines a Twelvemonth to 
 no Purpofe. 
 
 Tours, &c. 
 
 Dorcbejler, ANTHONY FLOYER. 
 
 Dec. 12. 
 
 We whofe Names are hereunto fubfcrib'd, do 
 certify, that one William Clark, a Boy of about 
 feven Years old, of the Parifh of Fordington, near 
 Dorchejler, was taken blind fuddenly, and conti- 
 nu'd fo five Days, by his Father's Account. We 
 faw him examin'd by Mr. Anthony Floyer, Surgeon ; 
 I 4 and
 
 120 Ele&rtcity render d ufeful. 
 
 and by his Account, and by the Obfervations we 
 ourfelves made, we thought him Stone-blind. He 
 was electrify'd, five Days fucceflively, by Mr. 
 Flcyer, and the fixth Day, on a ftrict Examina- 
 tion, we were convinc'd he could fee as well as 
 ever he did in his Life, and his Sight ftill conti- 
 nues perfect. 
 
 Jeremiah Clark, Father of the Boy. 
 Thomas Meech, M. D. 
 Dorchefor, Hubert Floyer, Surgeon. 
 Dec. if, 1751, John Swabridge, Apothecary. 
 Edward Stephens, Gent. 
 Arthur Mitchell, Gent *. 
 
 Remarks on the Gout. 
 
 WH A T he fays of the Gout, is like what 
 he has faid of the Sciatica, namely, that of 
 repelling the morbific Matter inwardly, though 
 with (till greater aggravating Symptoms. And he 
 concludes ; fo that all Hopes of Benefit to gouty 
 Perfons from Electricity are at an End. 
 
 Anfwer. This is very difcou raging to thofe af- 
 flicted with Vifitations from that dreadful Gueft ; 
 I mean thofe who experience it in the worft Man- 
 ner ; for, as to thofe who are troubled with it in a 
 lefs Degree, I am well afTur'd it will yield to elec- 
 trical Treatment, from the Trials I have made ; 
 though they have been not fo numerous as thofe 
 made in many other Diforders ; theReafon, in fome 
 Degree, will appear farther on. 
 
 The World, in general, behold the furprifing 
 electrical Experiments with Aftonimment,.and are 
 confounded at the amazing Phenomenon, yet are 
 unable to form any Conception either of its Nature 
 or Production. 
 
 * Supplement to Gent, Mag. for 1751, p. 578. 
 
 But;
 
 Electricity render d nfeful. 121 
 
 But as this lubtil aetherial Medium which was 
 only conjectur'd by all former Philofophers, is now 
 fully diicover'd to us ; fo we have an Opportunity 
 put into our Hands of examining and enquiring 
 into its Nature and Properties, by making almoit 
 what Number of Experiments with it we pleafe. 
 
 And, notwithftanding thofe Philofophers had no 
 other Method of difcovering fuch a fubtil Medium 
 but by its Effects, yet fo neceflary and univerfal 
 an Agent could not but appear remarkably plain, 
 in thofe Effects ; accordingly they are obferv'd to 
 defcribe it as exactly, as if they had been furnifh'd 
 with the prefent electrical Apparatus, to arreft, de- 
 tain, and torture it with Experiments, in Order to 
 render it vifible, and to difcover wherein its great 
 Strength and Energy lay i who accordingly inform 
 us of its extreme Subtilty, Velocity, elaftic or ex- 
 panfive Power, as well as attracting and repelling 
 Forces ; all which Properties exactly agree with 
 electrical jEther ; and we find the fagacious Sir 
 Ifaac Newton goes fo far as to pronounce it the me- 
 chanical Caufe of animal Motion, as if firmly per- 
 fuaded, no nervous Fluid, or any created Sub- 
 fiance, was endu'd with Power and Activity, fuffi- 
 cient to perform fo great an Office, but his fubtil 
 Fluid only. 
 
 If then mufcular Motion, that otherwife 'unac- 
 countable Work of Nature, is perform'd by the 
 active Power of this fubtil Agent, we have no 
 Reafon to admire at finding in it a Power of ac- 
 celerating the Motion of the Blood in an Animal, 
 nor of dilating the Paffages, which appear to be 
 the principal Manner in which this healing Power 
 operates ; I fay we have no Reafon to admire that 
 it mould accelerate the Motion of the Blood, when 
 a more than ordinary Quantity is convey'd to the 
 Body in general, if we only confider the above- 
 mention'd Experiment, which accelerates the Mo- 
 tion
 
 122 Eleffrictty render d ufeful. 
 
 tion of the whole Mafs of Blood, p. 67 ; and 
 many of the Maladies before- mentioned plainly 
 prove it to perform the like Office at particular 
 Parts, or, at leaft, what appears much like it, by 
 dilating the Paffages, and, at the fame Time, fe- 
 parating and dividing the clogg'd Particles, as be- 
 fore hinted -, for otherwife we could not fo con- 
 ftantly behold many Obftructions fo foon remov'd. 
 
 But as the greateft Part of Mankind are ignorant 
 of the Exiftence of any fuch neceflary Agent, as 
 jEther is allow'd to be ; fo they can form no Man- 
 ner of Idea, how it is poffible that this ftrange Fire 
 mould have either a Tendency or Power to heal, 
 but are much rather inclined to believe fuch Ac- 
 counts to be trump'd up, or invented by artful 
 and defigning Men to delude the Heedlefs ; thefe 
 feem to be the chief Reafons why the Treating of 
 bodily Diforders, in this Method, has not been 
 more attended to, after fo many well attefted Ac- 
 counts of its Ufefulnefs. 
 
 Another great Reafon why it has been fo difre- 
 garded, is the great Pains which are taken byfome 
 others to expofe and ridicule this Method of Treat- 
 ment, and, at beft, allow no more to it than to a 
 common Quack- medicine, though there may be 
 fufficient Realbn to believe it one of the greateft 
 of temporal Bleffings ever yet difcover'd to us, and 
 perhaps the greateft that human Nature is capa- 
 ble of ; for, what is all the Riches and Honour in 
 the World, or, indeed, what is Life itfelf, without 
 Health to enjoy it ? 
 
 Were it not for the above and fuch-like Rea- 
 fons, even the Cafes 2ift, 22d, and i6th would, 
 in the Gout, in other Methods of Cure, be thought 
 fufficient Encouragement, at leaft, to attempt the 
 Trial. 
 
 I have had no more Trials of the Gout, but on 
 rhofe who were flightly attack'd, and who received 
 
 Benefit
 
 Ekttricity render d ufefiil. 123 
 
 Benefit fo fuddenly, that they could fcarce think it 
 the Effect of Electricity. 
 
 But there have not been wanting many Inftances 
 both from abroad and at home, where Electricity 
 has been practis'd with great Succeis on this Dif- 
 order -, and I am firmly perfuaded, that the inve- 
 terate and moft chronical Diforders of this Kind, 
 even though hereditary, will, in Time, be found 
 to give \Vay, if not quite conquer'd by this Me- 
 thod of Treatment : But, in making fuch Attempts, 
 great Caution ought to be obferv'd, and by no 
 Means attempted in the Violence of a Fit, but ra- 
 ther when it is entirely gone off ; becaufe it is fo 
 much eafier to prevent than to cure Difeafes : 
 And, where it appears the moft formidable, there 
 to ufe the greateft Caution, and to begin with fim- 
 ply Electrifying ; that is, only to ftand or fit on 
 the electrical Cake for Half an Hour, or an Hour, 
 once or twice a Day ; and, in ibme Time after, be- 
 gin to draw Sparks, viz. caufe the Fire to burft 
 at the Part or Parts affected ; but no Shocks, ex- 
 cepting fome few weak ones, for Fear of roufing 
 the Lion ; and, whenever attempted, to obferve 
 the aforefaid Caution, i. e. that the Wire or Chain 
 coming from the Condenfing-phial be not brought 
 to the difeas'd Part, but a different Wire or iron 
 Rod ; and then to bring the other End of it to the 
 excited Apparatus -, by this Means, there will be 
 no Danger of pufhing the morbid Matter inwardly, 
 becaufe, then, the Motion of the fubtil Fire is con- 
 ceiv'd to be the contrary Way. 
 
 When any of thofe Shocks are given, the Con- 
 necting-wire may fometimes be held in one Hand, 
 fometimes the other, and fometimes under the Foot; 
 or, if the Coating of the Phial be touch'd with a 
 Finger, ftill the Shock will be produc'd, and the 
 Fire pafs the right Way * : If it be requir'd to pafs 
 
 * Outwardly from the diforder'd Part. 
 
 through
 
 124 Ek Sir i city render d ufeful. 
 
 through any particular Part, as of a Limb or 
 Joint ; let the Connecting-wire be brought to one 
 Side of the Limb or Joint through which it is to 
 pafs, and put one End of an iron Rod or Wire to 
 the oppofite Part ; becaufe it moves through in a 
 direct Line, from one metallic Body to the other, 
 whenever the contrary End of the Rod is brought 
 to the excited Gun-barrel, or any other Part of the 
 excited Apparatus. But to return from this Di- 
 greffion. 
 
 In the foremention'd Account from Sweden, al- 
 though the Doctor has taken Notice of fo many 
 Cafes wherein Electricity has been of real Service ; 
 yet, when he comes to what he calls his Conclu- 
 fion, he feems willing to fet it quite afide, by con- 
 cluding it like to prove of very little, if any, real 
 Advantage to Mankind , I may therefore juftly 
 appeal to the candid Reader, whether or not he 
 has fhew'd himfelf an impartial Writer. 
 
 Surely ! what nothing to be expected from that 
 which he has found capable of performing fuch 
 great Things, and in fo many different Diforders ! 
 'viz. 
 
 1 One having loft the Ufe of his Limbs, for fe- 
 veral Years, to be quite reftor'd by the Ufe of 
 Electricity. 
 
 Another, whofe Knee-joint had been contracted 
 for above five Years, from a Rheumatifm, was 
 able to ftraighten it after twice Electrifying. 
 
 Ganglions, he fays, all the Cafes in which it 
 was try'd, it difpers'd them perfectly. 
 
 A truly Paralytic, and Citizen oiUpfal? was per- 
 fectly cur'd thereby. 
 
 In various Cafes of the Tooth-ach, it feldom 
 fail'd of a perfect Cure. 
 
 In fome Epileptics too, he fays it has certainly 
 been ferviceable. 
 
 Deafnefs alfo in fome Cafes. 
 
 And
 
 Eleflricity render d ufeful. 125 
 
 And are all thefe promifing Hints, if there were 
 no more, like to prove of no real Service to Man- 
 kind ? Are we to expect nothing from this partial 
 Account, nor from all the more impartial Ac- 
 counts, fo frequently communicated from, other 
 Parts ? 
 
 Does it not feem as if all he had faid, relating to 
 its Ufefulnefs, was only what he was oblig'd to, 
 by public Authority, rather than Inclination ? 
 Otherwife we mould never find him, in his Conclu- 
 fion, 'fo plainly endeavour to unfay all again ; not 
 once mentioning any real Good he thought it ca- 
 
 Eable of, but does not forget to repeat what he had 
 lid before, concerning its being prejudicial ; and, 
 even while he is relating any good Quality, he 
 can't forbear ufhering it in, rather as the Contra- 
 ry ; particularly at his fifth Obfervation, where he 
 fays : 
 
 In all Cafes, a long Ufe of Electricity "brings on 
 a Coftivenefs, and an Increafe of Appetite, moft 
 probably from promoting infenfible Ferfpiration : 
 But this, if ever fo true, muft be fo far from 
 proving it prejudicial, that perhaps nothing can 
 fpeak much more in its Favour ; at lead, a com- 
 mon Medicine, endu'd with fuch fpecific Qualities, 
 would be not a little fet by ; even that of gene- 
 rally bringing on a Coftivenefs , were it only for 
 its Ufefulnefs as an Antidote in oppofite Difor- 
 ders. 
 
 Qi<*re. Whether the moft Healthy are moft 
 inclin'd to be coftive or laxative ? Becaufe the 
 Coftivenefs he there fpeaks of, may very probably 
 be what only naturally arifes from a more con- 
 firm'd State of Health, rather than any hurtful 
 Quality in the Specific. 
 
 From the furprifing Effects I have obferv'd in 
 Electricity, I have no Room to doubt, but that, if 
 a Perfon were, before he made Ufe of Electricity, 
 
 too
 
 126 Electricity render d ufefuL 
 
 too coftive, from fome natural Diforder ; but that 
 a long Ufe of it would even prove, in fome Mea- 
 lure, an Antidote to that very Diforder, which he 
 fays a long Ufe of it always brings on : And this, 
 not from promoting infenfible Perfpiration only, 
 as he imagines, but chiefly frorri promoting a due 
 Circulation, and the falutary Effects arifmg from 
 it, as well perhaps fenfible as infenfible Perfpira- 
 tion. And, 
 
 In a Word, the Caufe of all the bodily Organs 
 performing their proper Functions, and by that 
 Means rendering the Body healthy , and I am not 
 able to mention one Difeafe in which I think it 
 would be prejudicial, excepting that of a Fever, 
 where the Blood has already acquir'd a too great 
 Celerity, and Electricity is not like to retard it ; 
 and, though I can't expect it to cure a Fever, yet I 
 really believe a long Ufe of it would prevent one. 
 But, 
 
 Surely, an Increafe of Appetite is no bad Symp- 
 tom, but rather a Confirmation of the above-men- 
 tion'd falutary Effects, and that the digeftive Fa- 
 culty is improv'd. 
 
 How far this Account, from Sweden, concern- 
 ing Electricity, apply'd to Difeafes of the human 
 Body, will agree with the Account from Sweden^ 
 mention'd in the Gentleman's Magazine^ for March 
 1 755, will appear by relating it. 
 
 A fuccincl Account of Diforder s lately curd at 
 Stockholm by Electrification. 
 
 H E Tooth-ach, if proceeding from a De- 
 Jt fluxion of Rheum, is prefently affwag'd, or 
 totally remov'd, by this Remedy. 
 
 A Gentleman of Diftinction, who had been al- 
 moft (leaf a confiderable Time with a Singing in 
 the Ears, was cur'd in three or four Minutes. 
 
 A Man,
 
 Eleffricity render d ufeful. 127 
 
 A Man, 57 Years old, deaf for 32 Years pad, 
 from a Wound under the left Eye, and much af- 
 flicted with a violent Tooth -ach, was cur'd of this 
 Complaint immediately, and, foon after, his Hear- 
 ing, in a great Meafure. 
 
 A young Man, of 22, who had almoft loft his 
 Hearing for fix Months, by violent Vomitings, 
 which forc'd Blood out at his Ears, was cur'd in 
 as little Time as the former, and continues to hear 
 perfectly well. 
 
 A Girl of feven, born deaf, who confequently 
 could not fpeak, began to hear Words fpoken 
 very loud in her Ear, and could repeat fome of 
 them in a few Days. 
 
 In the Year 17449 a young Fellow of 19 fell 
 into a Well, and continu'd there above Half an 
 Hour for Want of Help ; fmce which Time his 
 Hearing has been very weak ; he has found much 
 Benefit from being electrify'd, and, it is hop'd, 
 will be perfectly cur'd. 
 
 A Stone-cutter, whofe Knees and Joints of his 
 Toes had been render'd ftiff, and Fingers crooked, 
 was able to go to Work after a few Days Electri- 
 fation. It has been found to recover, or greatly 
 abate, all rheumatic Pains of the Mufcles. 
 
 A Lad, who had a fcvere Sciatica in the right 
 Hip, from a Fall from a Scaffold, fo as not to 
 bear being touch'd, was cur'd in a few Days, fo 
 as to be able to walk without a Staff. 
 
 Another, who had us'd Crutches for feven Years* 
 could walk without them in 13 Days, and burnt 
 them for Joy. 
 
 A Girl of 13, who had been lame, after the 
 Small-pox, from four Years old, now walks with- 
 out a Staff, having been electrify 'd no more than 
 20 Times. 
 
 N. B. All thefe Perfons were electrify'd under 
 the Direction and in the Prelence of the Kind's 
 
 Phyli-
 
 12$ Ektiricity render d ufeful. 
 
 Phyficians, who attended by his Majefty's Orders. 
 
 In this Account from Sweden appears fomething 
 like undifguis'd Truth : Here we find no fubtle 
 Remarks and Conclufions, in order to unfay all 
 again j here are no palpable Contradictions, no ex- 
 cruciating Torments, nor Bugbears, to deter the 
 World, ifpofiible, from making Experiments' of 
 this Kind ; nor does it appear likely to produce 
 any fuch tremendous Effects, for, if fo, we mould, 
 long before this Time, have been thoroughly con- 
 vinc'd of it, among fuch a Number of Practitio- 
 ners on human Diforders, particularly at their firft 
 fetting out > but, on the contrary, the good Ef- 
 fects were fo obvious, and the falutary Hints ex- 
 hibited were fo many and plain, as rather to mew 
 a necefiary Tendency to heal, for otherwife no na- 
 tural Reafon can be affign'd for the applying it fo 
 early in the Morning, after its great Improvement, 
 to thofe Diforders ; and the many wonderful Cures, 
 perform'd in this Way, ftrengthen and confirm 
 the fame. 
 
 Thefe, and fiich-like Confiderations, are more 
 than fufficient to tempt us even to believe, that in 
 all this the immediate Hand of God was prefent, 
 particularly in the firft Difcovery to Profeflbr 
 M. de Mufchenbroek ; for that was the firft Time it 
 was ever known, or fo much as fufpected to be 
 endu'd with any great Power or Force , and fcarce- 
 ly any other Method could have inform'd him, 
 than the Experiment he was then making : An 
 Experiment fo uncommon, and what muft other- 
 wife have appear'd fo ufelefs, that no one can ima- 
 gine for what Reafon he attempted it. 
 
 B. But, as you charge the Author of the latter 
 Account from Sweden-, viz. that of July, with 
 downright Contradictions, it will be expected you 
 fhould prove them ? 
 
 A. They are fo obvious, as to require no other 
 
 Proof
 
 Eletfricity render d ufeful. 129 
 
 l^roof than what is to be found in his own Ac- 
 count, particularly at his Conclufion. Thus Ob- 
 fervation 2d: 
 
 " In rheumatic, arthritic, and fciatic Com- 
 " plaints, it is very feldom that any Advantage is 
 " gain'd, but rather the reverfe, from a Tranfla- 
 " tion of the morbific Matter inwards.** 
 
 If the contrary was not well known, fuch an 
 Aflertion from one who had had fo much Expe- 
 rience, would have been fufficient to deter mod 
 others that heard of it from ever attempting a far- 
 ther Trial. But let us hear what he fays himfelf, 
 when fpeaking of Contractions of the Joints : 
 " Another, whofe Knee-joint had been above five 
 " Years contracted from a Rheumatifm, was able 
 
 " to ftraighten it after twice Electrifying. 
 
 Qu<ery\ What could have a much greater Appear- 
 ance of a Miracle ! 
 
 " One who had loft the Ufe of his Limbs for 
 " feveral Years, from a Cold, was, at length, 
 " quite reftor'd, by the Ufe of Electricity." >u<ffry 9 
 Are not Colds of this Sort allow'd, by moft, to be 
 of the rheumatic Kind ? 
 
 Again, Obfervation 3d, " There is a great 
 " Agreement between paralytic and rheumatic 
 " Diforders :" And yet he fays, a Citizen ofUp- 
 fal^ who was a true Paralytic, was perfectly cur'd 
 thereby. 
 
 Are not here Contradictions from his own Ac- 
 count ? But, if more Proofs are neceiTary, take 
 the following from his own Country. 
 
 In the above Account from Sweden of March 
 
 1755 
 
 " It has been found to recover, or greatly abate, 
 " all rheumatic Pains of the Mufcles, and even in 
 " the Sciatica. 
 
 " A Lad, who was fo feverely afflicted with it 
 
 " in the right Hip, from a Fall from a Scaffold, 
 
 " as not to bear being touch'd, was cur'd in a few 
 
 K Days,
 
 1 30 Ele&ricity render d ufeful. 
 
 w Days, fo as to be able to walk without a Staff." 
 Altho' this is the very Diforder, which the latter 
 Author., for July 1755, affirms was turn'd upon the 
 Inteftines, with excruciating Torments , and who 
 afterwards informs us, that what had been faid of 
 the Sciatica, might be affirm'd of the Rheumatifm 
 likewife : But, if farther Proofs are ftill requifite, 
 I might only appeal to all who have made Trials 
 of this Kind, particularly in the Rheumatifm : All 
 feem thoroughly convinc'd of the falutary Effects of 
 Electricity in this Diforder ; and great Numbers 
 of the Cures, which the Public have been fo often 
 prefented with, have been rheumatic Complaints. 
 
 And, altho' in my Catalogue there are not many 
 of that particular Diforder, yet, perhaps, Perfons 
 afflicted,, and found Relief from Electricity, were 
 five to one of any other particular Diforder ; not 
 that I have fo much Reafon to believe it more ef- 
 fectual in relieving thofe Complaints, than many 
 others , but only, that more Perfons afflicted with 
 the Rheumatifra apply 'd for Relief. 
 
 But, to fay the Truth, the Author fhould feem 
 to miftake the Nature and Properties of this fubtil 
 Medium, in advifing what he calls fimply Elec- 
 trifying, by Drawing off Sparks with his iron Style, 
 otherwife it mould feem natural to imagine, that 
 fuch a Diforder as the Sciatica mint lie too deep 
 to be much affected with a Method fo fuperficial ; 
 but, when the electrical -#uher is convey'd by the 
 Method of Shocking, the deepeft and moil inter- 
 nal Parts are as eafily pervaded as the mod fu- 
 perficial. 
 
 But, altho* Drawing off Sparks with an iron 
 Style, or a Finger, is- not fufficient for this and 
 many other Complaints, yet, in a great Variety of 
 thofe which are more fuperficial, it is obferv'd to 
 be the only Method, and will be found exceed- 
 ingly ufeful ; as in moil Kind of Swellings, not 
 too deep, alfo Inflammations, Tetters, Ring- 
 3 worms,
 
 Ekttricity render d ufeful. i 3 i 
 
 worms, Shingles, St. Anthony's Fire, Knots in the 
 Flefh, &c. and Cafe the ntb, altho' fo remark- 
 able, yet was no otherwife treated. 
 
 In Cramps alfo it is of Ufe, tho' more effec- 
 tually cur'd by moderate Shocks : In cold Feet it 
 feems to bid fair as a Specific, by conveying to 
 them a Number of Shocks. 
 
 Either of thele Methods are found ufeful in the 
 Tooth-act but fmall Shocks in this alfo will be 
 found moft effectual , being fometimes inftantly 
 cur'd,' at other Times not. The Method of per- 
 forming the Operation is thus : 
 
 If it be an under Tooth, bring the End of the 
 Connecting-wire under the Chin and Tooth, and 
 lay the End of another Wire to the Top of the 
 Tooth j then bring the other End of it to the ex- 
 cited Apparatus, and the Circuit will not only be 
 compleated, but the electrical ^Ether will pafs the 
 right Way : If an upper Tooth, bring the End 
 of the Connecting- wire to the Top of the Fore- 
 head, as near as may be over the Tooth , then lay 
 one End of the iron Style to the Bottom of the 
 Tooth, and, at bringing the other End to the ex- 
 cited Apparatus on which the Phial is fufpended, 
 the ^ther, as before, will pafs thro' the Tooth. 
 
 Note, When any one performs this Experi- 
 ment, or any other with the Phial, if they defire 
 the Shock to be fmall, they muft be fure to touch 
 it quick, for, the quicker it is touch'd, always the 
 weaker the Shock j fo that nothing is more eafy 
 than to leffen or enlarge the Shocks. 
 
 That mercenary Views may not be thought the 
 chief Motive of my faying fo much in Favour of 
 Electricity, I mould advife one of thefe Machines 
 to be kept in moft Families that have Conveni- 
 ency, Opportunity, and Leifure to make Experi- 
 ments of this Kind ; for, I am well fatisfy'd, they 
 would find their Account in it, fo as to anfwer 
 the fmall Trouble and Expence : And, from the 
 K 2 Hints
 
 1 3 2 Eletfricity render & useful. 
 
 Hints here given, any one might eafily and foori 
 become Matter of Knowledge fufficient to make 
 a proper Ufe of it ; for, if I were not thoroughly 
 convinced of the Ufefulnefs of it, I mould have 
 been very far from giving mylelf fo much Trou- 
 ble concerning it. 
 
 B. But, as you feem to be giving away the Art 
 and Knowledge, which you have taken fo much 
 Pains to acquire, you will be far from being 
 thought wile , and if there is, really, any Thing 
 in what you have been fo ftrenuouily pleading for, 
 and if bodily Diforders may be fo eafily cur'd, with- 
 out the Help of Medicine, yet, you will not be 
 thought good i becanfe, then, what muft Thou- 
 fands do, many of which, having no other Way 
 of maintaining themfelves and Families, than by 
 dealing in Medicine only ? Therefore, by endea- 
 vouring to propagate what you feem to think fuch 
 a general Good, you may, in Reality, be doing 
 much Harm and Injury to your Neighbour -, be- 
 
 fides, as you are fo nearly related to , you 
 
 don't appear to act the Part even of a prudent 
 Parent. 
 
 A. But we muft take Care not to lofe Sight 
 of the grand eftablifh'd Maxim-, which Maxim is 
 according to the Law of God, of Nature, and of 
 political Government ; namely, that any private 
 Emolument, or Advantage, muft always give Way 
 to that of the Public. 
 
 70 apply this Maxim. 
 
 IF any Perfon was thoroughly perfuaded in his 
 own Mind, that what has been faid concerning 
 an univerfal healing Quality, in this electrical Fire, 
 were true, and he mould think he had an Art be- 
 yond others, fo as to make it generally ufeful ; 
 and, on the other Hand, he had fome fmall pri- 
 vate Intereft to rifque in publifhing it : 
 
 The
 
 Electricity render d ufcful. 1 3 5 
 
 The Queftion is, if it could really be queftion'd, 
 whether that fmall private Good ought to be put 
 in Competition with fo grand a public Good ? And 
 the Anfwer is obvious. 
 
 As to your grand Reafon, that of facrificing a 
 Part of the worldly Intereft of one of the neareft 
 of Relations ; this is the only effectual Means I 
 have to mew you, that I am fmcere, and in good 
 earrieft. 
 
 And, as I am fo thoroughly convinc'd of its in- 
 ftimable Value, fo no worldly Advantage ought 
 to be of any Weight, at lead fo as to hinder me 
 from endeavouring all in my Power to propagate 
 the Knowledge I have acquir'd in that Way. 
 
 How common a Thing is it to hear many ex- 
 tolling fuch a meritorious Act, as a Man's Dying 
 for, or in the Defence of his Country , but more 
 efpecially when it is to redeem it from aftual Sla- 
 very ? This, by many, is thought fo meritorious 
 an Act, that it is a common Thing to hear even 
 the Daftard vaunt, that he mould think it one 
 Degree of Happinefs to die in fo great a Caufe ; 
 which, if fo, then what a moft puny Hero ? Hero, 
 did I fay ! rather, what a moft groveling Wretch 
 mufl any one be, who would not, for the common 
 Goad of all Mankind^ fo much as rifque the leaft 
 Part of his temporal Intereft ! 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 FROM the foregoing Confideration of the 
 Nature of reflected Motion, by Means of fo 
 complete Elasticity in the j^Ether, or electrical 
 Fluid aforemention'd, particularly when one of 
 thofe non-electrical Circuits is compleated, in order 
 to convey the Shock * j it is reasonable to con- 
 
 As at p. 44, 4 j. 
 
 K $ elude,
 
 134 Eleflricity render d ufefuJ. 
 
 elude, that, notwithftanding the pure JEther con? 
 tain'd in the Body of the Animals, Metal, Water, 
 &c. that compos'd it, be in Contact throughoqt 
 the Circuit ; yet the viiible Fire produc'd in the 
 Phial is not fuppos'd to move throughout, but 
 only the contain'd /Ether pufh'd forward, by 
 Means of the elaftic Force of the Fluid. 
 
 To illuftrate which, and to explain my Mean- 
 ing* 
 
 I beg Leave once more to fuppofe, that a large 
 Army of Men, on a large Plain, had form'd them- 
 felves into a Circle by joining Hands, and the 
 Shock convey'd to them all by Means of one of 
 thofe electrical Operations ; there furely could be 
 no more Reafon for imagining the vifible electri- 
 cal Fire, produc'd in the Phial, to be carry'd all 
 round the Circle^ and not rather flop before an 
 entire Revolution be made j any more than there 
 would be to conceive, that, if a folid Wheel of 
 the fame Circumference, (with its Axis perpendi- 
 cular to the Horizon, could be made to turn quite 
 eafy and free on its Axis) muft neceflarily make a 
 whole Revolution before the Power, and confe- 
 quently the Motion, was at an End , but muft ra- 
 ther, long before a Revolution was compleated, 
 necerTarily make an entire Stop, notwithftanding 
 the moft violent projectile Motion that could pof- 
 fibly be communicated to it. 
 
 What feems to confirm this, is, Mr. Watfon's 
 Obfervation on large Circuits, who informs us, 
 that the Fire and Explofions at the Machine, viz. 
 at the utmoft Extremity of the Connecting-line, 
 were very fmall in Appearance, notwithftanding 
 the Shocks were as fenfibly felt by thofe who 
 form'd thofe large Circuits, as by thofe that form'd 
 the lefTer ones. 
 
 On the contrary, when a Piece of W r ire, or iron 
 Rod, is only brought from the Coating of the 
 Phial to the Leading-wire, or elfe to the prime 
 
 Conductor
 
 E*k5iricity render d ufefuL 
 
 Conductor on which it is generally fufpended ; the 
 actual vifible Fire, liz. the Vifibility generated in 
 the Phial, feems then continu'd quite thro' it in 
 a Torrent, and an exceeding bright Ball of fierce 
 Fire burfts forth at the End of it. 
 
 Thofe two Experiments concerning the largeft 
 and fmalleft Circuits, when compar'd and con- 
 fider'd, feem plainly to confirm what has been faid 
 of the Courfe fteer'd, or the Way the electrical 
 ./Ether moves from its State of Confinement in the 
 Phial ; and not only indicates, that fuch Motion 
 is from the Body of the Phial and leaden Cafe, 
 along the Connecting-line, as at p. 44, by ob- 
 ferving fo fmall an Appearance of Fire at the other 
 End of it, in the large Circuits, and the great 
 Quantity exhibited thro' the fliort Circuit, or Con- 
 necting-wire ; but alfo, that the momentary Mo- 
 tion is propagated, or reflected, as fuppos'd at 
 />. 27 ; and thus the greateft and lead Circuits are, 
 in Appearance, perform'd in the fame Space of 
 Time So that it feems mod natural to con- 
 clude, that, by Means of that violent Percuffion 
 in the Phial, a Circuit is no otherwife perform'd 
 than this, i. e. however great the Stroke or Im- 
 pulfe at the Phial may be, the fame Violence is 
 reflected throughout the whole Circuit, altho' the 
 actual Fire, which, when the Rqom is darken'd, 
 we always behold in the Phial, is by no Means 
 continu'd throughout, but all that appears, to be 
 perform'd as a Circulation, is the removing each 
 Part of the Circuit or Column of /Ether, contain'd 
 in thofe Pores of the denfe Non -electrics which 
 form'd the Circuit, more forward every Time a 
 Shock is given, or Percufllon in the Phial is re- 
 peated, than it was the Time before. 
 
 That it makes not an entire Revolution, at every 
 
 Explofion or Flam in the Phial, that is, every 
 
 Time a Shock is repeated, is what. may alfo be 
 
 reafonably fuppos'd, by obferving that the fmalleft 
 
 K 4 and
 
 136 Ek&ricity render d ufeful. 
 
 and greateft Shocks are equally propagated to any 
 Diftance, and, though fometimes fo fmall as not 
 much to exceed even a ftrong Pulfation of an Ar- 
 tery, yet will it be as inftantaneoufly reflected 
 throughout a large Circuit, as when they are ever 
 fo flrong. 
 
 Thele are fuch Reafons as induce one to believe, 
 that when a Circuit is form'd, in order to convey 
 the electrical ./Ether, by Way of Shocking, to any 
 Malady in the human Body, particularly, fuch as 
 Cafe the 14^, where the Fire was guided quite 
 through the whole Body , it may not be the fafeft 
 Way to truft to one or two Shocks only, for that 
 may, perhaps, be only removing the ftagnant JE- 
 ther from one Part of the Body to another, which 
 Method, in all Probability, cannot be fo eligible, 
 nor the ./Ether fo falutary and enlivening, as if 
 moderate Shocks were oftener repeated, and the 
 active Spirit, or electrical ^ther, were fure to 
 move not only through the Part affected, but alfo 
 that, by this Means, fuch ftagnant Either may be 
 difplac'd and driven quite out of the Body by the 
 new ; and thus this Manner of Treatment of bo- 
 dily Diforders appears to be mod rational ; the 
 Want of the Knowledge of which has been none 
 qf the leaft Reafons why fuch a Method of Treat- 
 ment has not made a greater Progrefs, but inftead 
 thereof been much banter'd, ridicuj'd, and fet at 
 nought. And, 
 
 As there are many Things in Nature, which we 
 find to have a Power to fix this Principle ; fo there 
 is fufficient Reafon to believe it is often, in fome 
 particular Conftitutions, detain'd, and fo fix'd, as 
 to hinder and impede a free Circulation in gene- 
 ral, and at other Times, in particular Parts, fo 
 fix'd, as to be the Caufe of the very worfl of Dif- 
 orders, fuch as Cancers, fcrophulous Tumors, and 
 the like, which appear fo very ftubborn as to yield 
 to no Medicine ever yet difcover'd.
 
 EleEtricity render d ufeful. 137 
 
 If fuch Diforders, when the Obftruftion firft 
 began, were to be treated by this Method ; from 
 what has been already obferv'd, there don't appear 
 to be any Doubt of an abfolute Cure. 
 
 And although, when other Means have been 
 formerly us'd for accelerating the Blood in fome 
 dangerous Cafes of Obrtrudtions, fuch as Morti- 
 fications, sff. they have prov'd fo far from reliev- 
 ing, .that they have very much heighten'd and 
 increas'd the Diforder , yet this was never found 
 to be the Cafe, even in that particular Diforder ; 
 when the Motion of the Fluids has been accele- 
 rated by Electrifation ; for which Reafon, it may 
 be naturally fuppos'd, that the electrical j^Ether 
 not only accelerates the Motion of the Fluids, but 
 alfo dilates and opens the PafTages, as well as fe- 
 parates and divides the clogg'd * Particles of the 
 Blood, and other Juices, that fo the Circulation 
 may be again carried on. 
 
 And, as there are few general Rules without 
 their Exceptions, fo no Doubt but this may be, 
 fometimes, found true here alfo in fome Degree, 
 and it may very pofllbly appear from the Effects, 
 that the Acceleration of the Fluids may be, fome- 
 times, too quick for the Dilatation and Opening 
 of the more folid Parts, and in fuch Cafes it may 
 be fufpected to caufe Pain for the prefent -f : And 
 this might very probably be the Reafon, that the 
 Gentleman mention'd, Cafe the i2tb, complained 
 of more Pain, though it was attended with no 
 other bad Symptom ; yet this, however, ought 
 to teach us to proceed with the more Caution in 
 violent Pains, particularly thofe of the Head in 
 general, and of the Ears or Eyes in particular, as 
 being fome of the moft tender Parts ; for thus 
 
 * 'As at Page 122. 
 
 t In Burns this feems to be the Cafe, by much increafing the 
 
 Pain. 
 
 proceeding,
 
 138 Elettricity render d ufefuL 
 
 proceeding, in a more cautious and light Manner, 
 may not only be the fafeft Way, but the mod ef- 
 fectual in many Cafes, though fomething longer 
 in performing. 
 
 B. But you are not fure, that the Operation is 
 perform'd this Way ? 
 
 A. I am as fare, as Reafon and Experiment can 
 make me, and therefore it is prefum'd it muft 
 reft here, till a more plaufible Reafon, fupported 
 with equal Experiments, can be produc'd to mew 
 the contrary. 
 
 Diforders in general, that lie near the Surface 
 of the Body, fuch as Inflammations and Swellings 
 of moil Kinds, are effectually cur'd by only fetting 
 them on the Refin, and limply Drawing off Sparks 
 from the affected Part; and not only fo, but often- 
 times Swellings that extend to fome Depth : I 
 have alfb found it to have very falutary Effects, 
 even when a Perfon has only ftood on the Floor, 
 and brought a diforder'd Part, as a Hand, Fin- 
 ger, &c. to the excited Gun-barrel, or other Part 
 of the Apparatus ; and this is fo eafily accom- 
 plifh'd, that a Perfon is, many Times, able to 
 perform an Operation on himfelf, without any 
 Afliftance. 
 
 This laft Method I have often practis'd with 
 good Succefs, and never found any ill Confe- 
 quences attend it : The Reafon why I don't prac- 
 tife it more conftantly is, becaufe, by this Me- 
 thod, the Direction of the electrical Matter is, from 
 the excited Gun-barrel or Wires, inwardly, thro' 
 the Malady, &c. and from thence, thro' the Body, 
 into the Earth. 
 
 The Danger, if there were any, of fuch Power 
 pr Force repelling or puming the morbific Mat- 
 ter inwardly *, muft be entirely avoided by the 
 other Method of Drawing Sparks from the Mala-
 
 Eleftric ity render d ufofuL 139 
 
 dy, while the Perfon is electris'd on the Refin i 
 becaufe then the Courfe and Direction of the elec- 
 trical ^Ether is thro' the Patient's Hand, which 
 communicates with the excited Apparatus while on 
 the Refin, and from that Hand the neareft Way 
 thro' the Malady, outwardly, and from thence 
 thro' the Wire that draws off the Sparks, and thro" 
 the Operator into the Earth, by Experiment the 
 id. 'But 
 
 I have elfewhere fhewn, that there does not ap- 
 pear the lead Probability of any fuch tremendous 
 Effects from Electricity as are pretended to, par- 
 ticularly with an iron Style, nor while we confine 
 ourfelves to fuch fmall Condenfing-phials ; and 
 have alfo fhewn, in a Variety of Cafes, that the 
 Way and Manner in which the electric Virtue ap- 
 pears to operate, is in a powerful Tendency to 
 promote a free Circulation of the Fluids of the Bo- 
 dy in general ; yet, when the active Agent is con- 
 vey'd to the Malady, then it appears to be deter- 
 min'd to that Part only ; and I can't help repeat- 
 ing it again, that, were not the folid PafTages di- 
 lated, as well as the clogg'd Fluids diffolv'd -f by 
 this fubtil Principle, no probable Reafon can be 
 afllgn'd for thofe falutary Effects fo fpeedily pro- 
 duc'd in fo many different, and, otherwife, ob- 
 ilinate Cafes. 
 
 And altho' Diforders that are more conceal'd, 
 and lie farther from the Surface of the Body, as 
 Rheumatifm, Sciatica, Pains of the Bones and 
 Joints, &c. are more effectually cur'd by fending 
 the electrical ^Ether thro' the Parts by Means of 
 Shocking themj yet, Pains of the fmall Joints, a$ 
 of the Fingers, &c. are many Times cur'd, by 
 only fimply Drawing off the Sparks at thofe Parts 
 while electris'd on the Refin. 
 
 f Pages 1 16, 1 22. 
 
 N.B,
 
 140 Electricity render d ufefuL 
 
 N. B. Having, while in London, the Pleafure 
 of feeing the ingenious Mr. IVatfon^ \ was giving 
 my Opinion concerning the Way and Manner in 
 which this active Principle operates, when we be- 
 hold fuch falutary Effects, by applying it to the 
 Cure of bodily Diforders ; and told him I had great 
 Reafon to believe it to be perform'd by accele- 
 rating the Motion of the Fluids of the Body ; and 
 what the more confirmed my Conjectures was, its 
 great Propenfity of accelerating the Motion, in 
 general, of Fluids already in Motion. 
 
 He told me it was queftion'd whether the elec- 
 trical Fire really accelerated the Motion of the 
 fluids or not , and that, if the Experiment of the 
 capillary Syphon were accurately made both Ways, 
 the Water, difcharg'd in a given Time, would per- 
 haps be found equal ; that is, whether it were e- 
 lectris'd and flow'd in a Stream, or whether it were 
 not electris'd, and mov'd off gently in large Drops, 
 yet the Quantity might be equal : This being 
 what I had never tried, I could fay but little to it. 
 
 But fince, reflecting on thofe two Experiments, J 
 confider'd, that fuppofing Mr. Watfotfs Conjectures 
 were granted, and the Quantity of Water evacuated 
 by the Syphon in a given Space of Time was equal 
 in both Cafes , yet the Greatnefs of the Activity of 
 the Water which appears at the End of the Syphon, 
 when the Water is electris'd, beyond what is to be 
 feen before, muft be abundantly iufficient to inform 
 us, that the real Motion of the Water is thereby 
 greatly accelerated : Whether a greater Quantity 
 of Water be actually djfcharg'd in the fame Time, 
 feems not very. material, bijt whether the Motion be 
 really increas'd j that is, whether the Motion be not 
 greater when it moves violently off at the End of the 
 Tube in Streams and flying Particles, than when It 
 has no other Power of moving from it than that of 
 its own Gravity \ infinuating, as it were, almoft in- 
 jenfibly from the End of the Tube. Hence,
 
 Eletfricity render d ufefut. 141 
 
 . Qu<ery. Whether the beholding the fame Quantity 
 of Water fo very much feparated into active little 
 Streams, and flying Particles, from the End of the 
 Syphon, may not reafonably be fuppos'd to favour 
 my former Conjecture ; namely, that, by conveying 
 the electrical Fire to a human Malady, the clogg'd 
 Particles of the Fluids are thereby feparated, by 
 which Means they become fitted to pafs thofe Ca- 
 nals which before they were thus feparated, they 
 were incapable of doing. 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 TO mew I am not miftaken, when I affirm, 
 Experiment the id, that the ^ther is paffing 
 thro* the Apparatus of Wires and Perfon into the 
 Earth, all the Time he touches it with a Finger 
 while Handing on the Floor, altho' at the greateft 
 Diftance from the Machine in Motion, and altho' 
 no Senfe informs him of it: 
 
 Let one End of a Piece of Wire be well coated 
 with Sealing-wax, and, if a Perfon hold it by the 
 coated Part, no fooner is the other End of the Wire 
 laid on the excited Apparatus, but the Thumb and 
 Fingers are fenfible of it , and, if held but lightly, 
 the Eye alfo, for it will dart violently thro* the 
 Sealing-wax to the non-electric Fingers all the 
 Time -, fo great is its Propenfity of returning intd 
 the Earth. 
 
 INDEX.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 ANTIQUITY of Electricity, and the feveral Gradations of 
 its Progrefs Page i 
 
 Who it was that made the firfl important Difcoveries 2 
 
 Who gave the rimming S:roke, or greatell Improvement of 
 
 M. de Mufchenbroek"s Experiment . ib. 
 
 The wonderful Power of eleftrical Fire 4 
 
 A Defcription of the Condenfing-phial 
 
 Ele&rical Fire kept in clofe Connexion with Water for thirty-fix 
 
 Hours 6 
 
 Mr. Radftro<iv J s large Glafs, and Experiment 7, 8 
 On the Nature and Properties of Electrics and Non-eleftrics 9 
 The Caufe of thofe Qualities in Bodies to 
 
 The different Kinds of electrical Bodies n 
 
 A glafs Tube, after being warm'd by the Sun, will attraft light 
 
 Bodies 1 3 
 
 Before eleclrical Experiments were brought to Perfection, the 
 
 ./Ether or fubtil Medium could never be prov'd to exift, any 
 
 otherwife than by its Effects 1 4. 
 
 That the Either of the Ancients was elementary Fire ib. 
 
 ./Ether of Da Cartes, what ib. 
 
 That of Sir Ifaae Newton, his fubtil Medium or astherial Spirit i 5 
 ./Ether fuppos*d fo univerfally difpers'd as to fill up all the im- 
 
 menfe Void ib. 
 
 That the prefent ./Ether is electrical Fire 1 7 
 
 Electrical Fire endu'd with all the Qualities afcrib'd to ^Ether 
 
 ib. 
 Eleflrical Fire, from whence deriv'd 19 
 
 What it really is, and whither it returns 21 
 
 Air an Eledlric per fe 22 
 
 Original ./Ether quits its Place, to make Room for the elefth- 
 
 cal jEther 23 
 
 The internal Parts of the Wires of the Apparatus are Canals or 
 
 Paflages to the eleftrical ./Ether, as the internal Parts of Pipes 
 
 or Tubes are Paffages to Water ib. 
 
 That it paffes not along the Surface of the Wires, prov'd by 
 
 various Experiments 2? 
 
 A Circulation perform 'd thxough the Perfon, with his Hand on 
 
 the Globe in Motion, how 27 
 
 Vibrating Motion in ./Ether ib. 
 
 Au Experiment to prove it 28 
 
 The
 
 INDEX. 
 
 The Reafon why it does not appear plain, that, where Attrac- 
 tion ends, there Repulfion begins Page 29 
 
 Of perfeft Elafticity ib. 
 
 The circulating Experiment . 31 
 
 The ihorteft Circuit ib. 
 
 To prove that a Circulation is performed, whenever a Shock is 
 given 32 
 
 The Circuit enlarg'd 32, 33 
 
 Largeft and fmalleit Circuits performed in the fame Space of 
 Time 33 
 
 Such inftantaneous Motion of all the feveral Parts of the ^Ether 
 in the Circuit compar'd to the inftantaneous Motion of all 
 the feveral Parts of a folid Wheel ib. 
 
 Perform'd by the Perfectnefs of the Elafticity of ./Ether 34 
 
 No Length or Breadth of Waters can prevail with it to difperfe 
 or fpread itfelf 35 
 
 A Circuit form'd of four Miles ib. 
 
 How the Shock and Circulation are perform'd ib. 
 
 The electrical -/Ether moves with the moft Freedom through the 
 moil denfe and compacted Bodies 36 
 
 A general Law obferv'd to obtain in homogeneous Fluids ib. 
 
 Notwithftanding the remarkable Rarity of ./Ether, yet, as it is 
 without Pores, it is, in the Senfe of Sirlfaac Newton, much more 
 denfe than Quickfilver or Gold ib. 
 
 The fix'd JEther in Glafs a powerful Agent In detaining the 
 electrical ^Ether ib. 
 
 A remarkable Tendency of the electrical ./Ether towards the 
 Condenfing-phial, when charg'd - 37 
 
 Prov'd 38 
 
 The fix'd ./Ether in the Pores of the Glafs, and other electrical 
 Bodies, the principal Caufe of all the late Improvements ib. 
 
 The Celerity of its Motion afcrib'd to its elaftic Quality 39 
 
 The chief Property of a perfeftly elaftic Body ib. 
 
 The Nature and Caufe of Fluidity 40 
 
 An elaftic Fluid dilatable and compreflible 43 
 
 Sir Jfaac Newton s Proportion of the Elafticity of Air to that of 
 yEther ib. 
 
 The Shock explained by Delineation 46 
 
 To reftore the Equilibrium 49 
 
 No Shock, except a Circuit be form'd, prov'd by the Experi- 
 ment of two Machines at once 50 
 
 Shock inverted 52 
 
 Another Experiment, fhewing the Elafticity of the electrical 
 ./Ether ' 54 
 
 The Electrical .(Ether is fo agitated by pafling fwiftly through the 
 Air, as to be render'c! vifinle 55 
 
 Machine, mounted on original Electrics, was the Caufe of a De- 
 ception in many Experiments 57 
 
 The
 
 r N D E x. 
 
 The Way and Manner of the Deception Page 58 
 
 When the Supply of electrical ,/Ether to the glafs Globe would 
 
 not be from the real Inflrument of Friction ib. 
 
 Motion of the Water from the capillary Syphon is either to of 
 
 from the excited Apparatus, juft as it happens to be either the 
 
 excited or unexcited Body , 61 
 
 A different Method of explaining the Shock given to animal 
 
 Bodies 62 
 
 The aetherial Medium neceflary to the animal (Economy 64. 
 The Caufe of the Circulations in animate and inaminate Bodies 
 
 6> 
 A latent vivifying Spirit difpers'd throughout the Air ib. 
 
 Caufe of animal Motion 66 
 
 Electricity accelerates the Motion of the Blood in a human Body, 
 
 prov'd by an Experiment 67 
 
 Removes Obftructions, helps Digeftion, provokes Urine, &V. 68 
 Air, by being often breath'd, becomes unfit for Refpiration ib. 
 Caufe of the great Mortality on Ship-board, and in Dungeons 
 
 68, 69 
 The Organs of Refpiration, the primum Mobile, in the animal 
 
 Syftem 69 
 
 Heart unable to continue in Motion, if not aflifted by the active 
 
 Principle in Air ib. 
 
 Electricity, no Effect in the Small-pox 71 
 
 Method to recover many who die fuddenly ib. 
 
 Animals put to Death and recovered to Life again 71, 72 
 
 The aetherial Spirit univerfally difpers'd is the Caufe of mufcular 
 
 Motion, and all the Motion in the Univerfe 72 
 
 Why it muft neceflarily difcover a natural Tendency to help in 
 
 bodily Infirmities 72, 73 
 
 Cures perform* d by Eleftritity. 
 
 Cafe i. Head-ach cur'd by Electricity 73 
 
 Cafe 2. Sciatica of many Years Continuance 74 
 
 Cafe 3. Eight years Rheum atifm ib. 
 
 Cafe 4. A partial Head-ach ib. 
 
 Cafe 5. A partial and periodical Head-ach ib. 
 
 Cafe 6. A remarkable Head ach 75 
 
 Cafe 7. A Perfon afflicted with a violent Cramp for upwards of 
 
 50 Years ib. 
 
 Cafe 8. Ridged Knots in the Flelh 76 
 
 Cafe 9. Rheumatifm ib. 
 
 Cafe 10. A Fiftula ib. 
 
 Cafe 1 1 . A remarkable Swelling in the Hand 77 
 
 Cafe 12. A Mortification 78 
 
 Cafe 13 A Lamenefs . 80 
 
 Cafe 14. Fits 83 
 
 3 Cafe
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Cafe ic. Motion communicated to extravafated Blood Page 84 
 
 Cafe 16. A Wen 8? 
 
 Cafe 17. A Surfeit il. 
 
 Cafe 1 8. Fits of 50 Years Continuance 86 
 
 Cafe 19 Remarkable Hyfterics i 87 
 
 Cafe 20. A Complication of Difcrders, OH'JE. Hyfterics, Cold- 
 
 nefs in the Feet, and a remarkable Shaking of the Limbs 83 
 Cafe 21. A painful Swelling in the Ball of the great Toe ib. 
 Cafe 22. A Complication of painful Diforders in the Feet of 
 
 eleven or twelve Years Continuance 89 
 
 Cafe 23. A painful Diforder in the Toe 91 
 
 Cafe 24. Sciatica - 92 
 
 Cafe 26. Relics of the Gout ib. 
 
 Cafe 27. A remarkable Head-ach of 1 1 Years Continuance ib. 
 
 Cafe 28. A fore Throat 93 
 
 Cafe 29. St. Anthony 's Fire ib. 
 
 Cafe 31. Palfy 94 
 
 Cafe 32. A violent and uncommon Cramp of 1 1 Years Con- 
 tinuance '. ib. 
 
 Cafe 33. Bronchocele = 96 
 
 Cafe 34. Ditto ib. 
 
 A remarkable Cafe of the Rheumatifm 97 
 
 Conclufions ought not to be too haftily drawn ' 98 
 
 Jn whofe Hands this Kind of Treatment of bodily Infirmities 
 
 may be expeded to be moft fuccefsful 100 
 
 The Way and Manner in which thefe Experiments operate in 
 
 animal Bodies ib. 
 
 Moft Kind of Tumors, tho 1 even of the fcrophulous Kind, 
 
 yield to electrical Treatment - ib. 
 
 Two particular paralytic Cafes in Shrwjbury Hofpital 101 
 
 A Palfy in the Tongue toz 
 
 The Reafon why the two Cafes at the Shrcwjlury Hofpital were 
 
 enquir'd into Ib. 
 
 The Editor of the Magazine not properly the Publifher of that 
 
 The Power and Efficacy of Condenfmg-phials, when very much 
 
 The whole Body ought not to be fhock'd, when a particular 
 
 Part only is diforder'd 107 
 
 When to ufe a four Ounce inftead of an eight Ounce Condenf- 
 
 Moderate Shocks, in moft Complaints, are found to be of great- 
 
 A Palfy in the Tongue, at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh ICQ 
 Eledtricity apply 'd to bodily Diforders, at the Hofpital at Up- 
 
 fal in Sweden, by a Phyfician .. . 109, 1 10 
 
 L That
 
 INDEX. 
 
 That Account cnquir'd into Page no 
 
 Difeafes and Maladies in which it was found to be of Ufc, viz. 
 Contractions, 110; Deafnefs, MI; Epilepfy, Hid, Felons, 
 ibid. Ganglions, 112 j Tooth- ach, ibid. Palfy, ibid. Head- 
 ach, ibid. 
 
 Remarks on hyfterical Complaints . 114. 
 
 On the Guttaferena 116 
 
 Cafe of the blind Boy at Dorcbefter ib. 
 
 Two Girls cur'd of Obftrudions, by the electrical Shock at 
 
 Remarks on Dr. Zetzel's Account of the Effects of Electricity in 
 
 the Gout and Sciatica " i zo 
 
 Remarks on the Gout continu'd - 122 
 
 Cautions to be obferv'd in managing the Gout 123 
 
 Coftivenefs and an Increafe of Appetite 125 
 
 An Account of Diforders cur'd at Stockholm in Sweden by Elec- 
 
 Contradidlions in Dr. Zetzefs Account > 1 29 
 
 Of Diforders that feem readily to give Way to this Kind of 
 Treatment . 130, 131 
 
 Tooth-ach, Cold Feet, &c. 131 
 
 To leflen or enlarge the Shock ib. 
 
 The grand eftablifh'd Maxim, 132. The fame apply'd 132 
 
 A common Thing to hear the Daftard vaunt t 33 
 
 What we may learn by comparing the largeft and fmalleft Cir- 
 cuits together 135 
 
 In what Manner the Motion may be faid to circulate, when a 
 Shock is given - ib. 
 
 The Treating of bodily Diforders by the electrical Method ap- 
 pears moft rational 1 36 
 
 This Principle, by being detained and fix'd in the human Body, 
 may fo hinder the free Circulation, as to be the Caufe of the 
 moft inveterate Diforders ib. 
 
 The Confequence of Accelerating the Motion of the Blood by 
 other Methods ~ 137 
 
 Why Accelerating the Motion of the Blood by Eledlrifation 
 may fometimes caufe Pain ib. 
 
 Why the Experiment of the capillary Syphon neceffarily acce- 
 lerates the Motion of the Blood 1 40 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 At Page 38, Line 28, inftead of p. 34 and p. 58, read p. 19 
 and p. 37 ; and at Page 39, Line 25, inftead of p. 48, read p. 29.
 
 
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