CONTENTS
OF
THE EPITOME OF
ELECTRICITY.
| DIVISION I. | ||
| Chap. | Page. | |
|---|---|---|
| I. | Explanation of terms; with some general remarks. | [1] |
| II. | Electric substances; with some of the phenomena attending their excitation. | [3] |
| III. | Of electrics and conductors. | [6] |
| IV. | Of the electrical machine. | [9] |
| V. | Of communicated electricity. | [15] |
| VI. | Of the electric spark. | [16] |
| VII. | Of the influence of pointed bodies on electricity, and some phenomena attending their operation. | [17] |
| VIII. | Of electric attraction and repulsion. | [21] |
| IX. | Of the Leyden phial. | [26] |
| X. | Of the electrical battery, and experiments performed with it. | [28] |
| XI. | Of the electrophorus, and some of its phenomena accounted for. | [33] |
| XII. | Of electrometers. | [36] |
| XIII. | The identity of electricity with lightning. | [40] |
| XIV. | Of the structure and use of the electrical kite. | [41] |
| XV. | The structure and use of lightning rods. | [48] |
| XVI. | Of animal electricity. | [55] |
| XVII. | The influence of electricity on vegetables. | [61] |
| XVIII. | Medical electricity. | [63] |
| XIX. | Directions concerning the use of the electrical apparatus, with some practical rules for performing experiments with it, to the best advantage. | [68] |
| DIVISION II. | ||
| I. | Entertaining experiments made by electrical attraction and repulsion. | [73] |
| II. | Experiments with electric light. | [79] |
| III. | Experiments with charged electrics. | [86] |
| IV. | Experiments relating to the influence of pointed bodies on electricity. | [92] |
| V. | Promiscuous experiments. | [94] |
| DIVISION III. | ||
| I. | Introductory observations to the theory of electricity. | [105] |
| II. | Theories of electricity, exclusively of that of Franklin. | [108] |
| III. | The Franklinian theory of electricity. | [116] |
| APPENDIX. | ||
| No. | ||
| I. | A description of the cement used for electrical purposes. | [125] |
| II. | A composition for coating cylinders or globes. | [125] |
| III. | To make the best kind of amalgam for exciting electrics. | [126] |
| IV. | The preparation of electrical paint. | [126] |
| V. | To make the artificial bolognian stone. | [127] |
CONTENTS
OF
THE EPITOME OF
GALVANISM.
| Chap. | Page. | |
|---|---|---|
| I. | A short account of the discovery of Galvanism. | [129] |
| II. | Of the animals best fitted for Galvanic experiments; of the metals best calculated for making these experiments; and of conductors. | [131] |
| III. | A description of the Galvanic trough and pile. | [134] |
| IV. | The method of performing Galvanic experiments with frogs; with some conclusions drawn from them. | [138] |
| V. | Various experiments with the Galvanic pile. | [140] |
| VI. | Experiments on the deflagration of metals by the Galvanic pile. | [143] |
| VII. | Further Galvanic experiments on metals, and on other substances. | [145] |
| VIII. | Experiments which may be performed without the assistance of the battery. | [148] |
| IX. | Some common effects which are supposed to be occasioned by Galvanism. | [150] |
| X. | The effects of Galvanism on vegetables. | [152] |
| XI. | Of medical Galvanism. | [154] |
| XII. | The identity of Galvanism with electricity considered. | [157] |
EPITOME
OF
ELECTRICITY.
DIVISION I.
CHAP. I.
Explanation of Terms; with some general Remarks.
If a glass tube be rubbed in the dark with a dry hand or piece of buckskin, upon applying the knuckle to it a luminous stream or spark will appear, passing from the glass to the knuckle, attended with a crackling noise: this luminous spark or stream is called electricity.[[8]] It is produced by the friction of several other substances, and was first observed on amber.—Hence its name, from ηλεκτρον the greek term for amber. It is a fluid extremely subtle, abounding in all nature, and is one of her principal agents; which, though generally imperceptible, sometimes becomes the object of our sight and other senses.
A glass tube, having been rubbed and producing the appearances above described, is said to be excited. The hand or buckskin, by which this is effected, is called the rubber. Electrics are all substances which can be made to produce the same appearances; the most perfect are glass, amber, sealing-wax, sulphur, gum lac, rosin &c. These are also called non-conductors, from their inability to conduct the electric fluid. Conductors or non-electrics are those bodies which cannot be excited, but have the power of transmitting electricity; such are metals, water, the bodies of animals, an imperfect vacuum, heat &c. But strictly speaking, there are no perfect conductors or non-conductors.
A body is said to be in its natural state, when it is in the same state, with respect to electricity, as the mass of the earth.