Many Writers about it chuse to divide it into two Sorts; the first is the pure Æther, which is supposed to be moving above our Atmosphere; the second is the common Air, which is supposed to be within our Atmosphere. I confess, the Feats attributed to the mighty Weight of our Atmosphere, in causing Siphons and Pumps, &c. to operate, I never could understand; but if I were to account for their Operations, as well as that of a Barometer, by the Elasticity of the Air, I think I could more easily and more naturally shew it.
Notwithstanding what has been advanced concerning the Æther, which is believed to inhabit above our Atmosphere, I chuse rather to suppose, that the Air is an Element as well as Fire, and that the Difference in it is only betwixt heavy and foul Air, and clean and light Air. That which comes on the highest Mountains is clean, and free from our Fogs and Putrefactions, and, consequently, more elastic.
As a Proof of this, I would recommend the following Experiment: Fill a Bladder with this clean Air; then press it with a Weight just sufficient to make it give way; and you will find, that, by reason of its Elasticity, it will yield much further, than if it were fill’d with the other Air, which is impregnated with foggy and aqueous Particles.
Now if, as in a Barometer, the Quicksilver is suspended by the Air on the Top of the Tube, which was extracted or emerged out of the Quicksilver, by the Weight of the said Quicksilver, and as that Air in the Barometer cannot but have a Communication with the ambient Air, the Air within the Barometer must thence be affected, by its becoming less elastic also.
But this is not so much to my present Purpose, as to consider the Air loaded not only with Vapours, but with poisonous Effluvia from the Steams of various Minerals, as well as with the Salts of dead Insects and Animals, which, in the Season of Autumn, may probably occasion so many Agues, and putrid Fevers, as are met with.
Now, if you further consider the Air as loaded with any or all of these Vapours and Effluvia, and demanding Entrance with the Authority of Fire, its Companion, is it any Wonder, that the Rheumatism, and many other bad Effects, which frequently happen, in unguarded Seasons, to Mankind, may be owing to the Cause here treated of?
I remember that a Person, riding in an open Chaise, in an Easterly Wind, receiv’d a Stroke upon one of his Scapula’s, with as great Pain, and with the same kind of Sensation, as if he had been stuck with a Dagger. Upon which he instantly said to his Friend in the Chaise, He expected a violent Rheumatism from it. Which accordingly happen’d; for he was not able to quit his Bed for Three Weeks after. – I think this cannot be better accounted for, than to suppose it proceeded from a pointed Body of this kind of Fire, and the Effluvia which accompanied it.
If you will be pleased to reflect on the Air in this last described State, you need not expect, I think, to have much said concerning the Blights on Trees. It is true, somewhat may be consider’d with regard to the Insects frequently found on the blighted Leaves: But whether, when by the Blight the Leaves have been curl’d up, the Insects come there as to a proper Nidus, or whether they are brought in this Fire, which seems plainly to have burn’d the Leaves, I will not undertake to account for.
I am, &c.
APPENDIX
The kind Reception this small Treatise has met with from the Public occasions the Printing this Second Edition of it.
It is, I confess, some Satisfaction to me, that my publishing it is not without Part of the Effect I hoped for; having been told by many, who have read it, that it gave them very new and satisfactory Ideas.
As to those who have read it, and say nothing of it, either from their Want of Apprehension, or their Fear of being obliged to alter their Sentiments concerning it, or from a worse Cause than either, I absolutely have no Concern about them.
There are those, I confess, who merit with me the highest Esteem, who, having read it, object to some Things, as fearing I have not conceiv’d them rightly; but this they have done with the Temper of Gentlemen. These I think deserve to be set right; which I will therefore attempt to do in the following Manner:
The First Objection they make is, That I have called Silk, Wax, &c. which do not ordinarily convey the electrical Power to other Bodies, non-electricable, or non-electrical; when other Writers have long since agreed to call them Electrics per se.
The Second Objection is, That what I have advanced, to prove that the Power of Electricity proceeds not from the Apparatus, but from the Air, seems to be overthrown; because, since I wrote my Book, there has been a new Experiment made, by placing the whole Apparatus on Wax, and also the Persons concerned in the Experiment, and by that means the Power is intercepted.
The Third Objection is, That so large a Quantity of Iron, as I have supposed to be electrify’d, will not give greater Force, when touch’d by a Person unelectrify’d, than a smaller one will.
In Answer to the First Objection; I cannot think, that the Term Electric per se is suited to any Material whatever; unless some One was found out which would attract to it, of its own accord, any other Material; as we find a Loadstone will do, when placed near any thing in its Reach: but, if you lay even Amber unrubb’d in Contact with Straws, or any other Things, they will not be attracted to it. So that Friction, it is plain, collects this Power to the Amber.
The Term Electric per se seems to me to be used by these Gentlemen for the same Purposes as the old Term of Occult Quality was.
As the Word Electricity arises from Amber, I need not instance in any other Material; nor need I give again my Reasons, why certain Things are non-electricable. But, for clearing One Point, in which I am not rightly apprehended; I have said, That if Fire be the Cause of Life and Increase in any thing which stands in a State of Nature, then, whatever ceases to be in a State of Life or Increase, must have its Fire withdrawn, and it becomes a Caput Mortuum. – I have been told, This is not true; for a dead Animal will be electrify’d.
This I complain of, as not having been understood concerning it. This Animal, though kill’d, had once its animal Increase from Fire. Boards, when dry, have Fire in them; because the Fire, which invigorated the Tree they were saw’d out of, must naturally remain in them. The like may be said of a dead Animal; but Wax, Pitch, Resin, and the Tribe of Non-electricables, never had their Existence from Nature only; and therefore they are quite of a different Tribe. For what I say is, That whatever had once Fire in it is capable of being electrify’d. Those called Electrics per se, having no Fire in them, when, by Friction, Fire is collected on their Surfaces, it is either driven from thence into the Air, or into some Electricable, and so it joins with that Fire which naturally belongs to it.
Sealing-wax is compounded of Non-electricables, and, if you rub it, will attract Things to it as Amber will: And I believe all other Things, which will not imbibe the Fire into them, when by Friction it is collected on their Surfaces, will dispose of it thence to their next Neighbour. Resin and Pitch, from their Tenacity, may difficultly be made to do it, and, yet have the Nature in them I am supposing them to have.
There may be such artful Tricks play’d with this Power, as, to an undiscerning Eye, may make it seem to be changed; for Instance, If you wet a silk Cord (Water being electricable) it passes on the Water through the Cord, by the Cord’s only retaining the Water. Some Dye, with which Silk is dyed, if it be of a vegetable Nature, will convey this Power through the Silk, by the Contiguity of the Dye-Stuff: So that you see there may be no End of Experiments.
I think it is a great Pity that the Word Electricity should ever have been given to so wonderful Phænomenon, which might properly be consider’d as the First Principle in Nature. Perhaps the Word Vivacity might not have been an improper one; but it is now too late to think of changing a Name it has so long obtain’d.
As I am going to answer the Second Objection, I own I have not employ’d myself in making Experiments in Electricity, chusing rather, if I could, to account for those which have been found out by others, than to spend much Time in making them myself: Though I pay great Respect to those, who, for Improvement of Knowlege, have been employ’d in them. As to those who get Money by shewing these Experiments, I do not pay so high a Regard to their Performances; because all, who shew any Arts to new Customers, for Profit, are bound to try all Means to gain Applause. I would endeavour to ascertain the Laws or Principle by which they are perform’d; which when done, a Thousand Tricks like Legerdemain may be performed by it, by him whose Time is little worth.
In the Second Objection it is said, I am mistaken, when I advance, that the Apparatus is not the Cause of Electricity, but that it is produced by the Air. To shew this, I am told, That if a Person is placed, and also the Apparatus, on Wax or Resin (which are non-electricable), no Fire or Force is produced from them: But if the Person employ’d in doing it touches the Wainscot or the Floor with a Walking-Stick, or the like, the Electricity flows as freely as if he stood on the Floor. From whence some Conjecture this Power comes from the Earth only; than which I think nothing can be more absurd: For, if you fetch it out of the Wainscot, or the Boards of the Floor, it must first be in them, and the Air could only be the Carrier of it to them. So that here the main Things, which I at first only conjectur’d, I think are fully proved; which are, That Electricity was not generated by the Apparatus, but only collected by it out of the Air.