Experiments and Observations Tending to Illustrate the Nature and Properties of Electricity: In One Letter to Martin Folkes, Esq; President, and Two to the Royal Society — John Shaqi
Experiments and Observations Tending to Illustrate the Nature and Properties of Electricity: In One Letter to Martin Folkes, Esq; President, and Two to the Royal SocietyWatson, William, Sir
History
Experiments and Observations Tending to Illustrate the Nature and Properties of Electricity: In One Letter to Martin Folkes, Esq; President, and Two to the Royal Society
Watson, William, Sir
Electricity -- Early works to 1850
_viz._ a Vegetable chemical Oil, and gently warm this Mixture, the Oil
by the Warmth mixes intimately with the Sulphur, lowers its Consistence,
and makes it readily take fire by Flame. In these Operations,
notwithstanding I always made use of the finest scented Oils of Orange
Peel, Lemons, and such like, yet upon the least warming the Mixture, the
rank Smell of Balsam (_i. e._ the ready Solution) of Sulphur was very
obvious.
Read before the R. S.
_Oct. 24. 1745_.
_A Continuation of the Above._
Read, _Feb. 6. 1745_.
AS Water is a non-electric, and of Consequence a Conductor of
Electricity, I had Reason to believe that Ice was endowed with the same
Properties. Upon making the Experiment I found my Conjectures not
without Foundation; for upon electrifying a Piece of Ice, wherever the
Ice was touched by a non-electric, it flashed and snapped. A Piece of
Ice also held in the Hand of an electrified Man, as in the
beforementioned Processes, fired warm Spirit, chemical vegetable Oils,
Camphor, and Gunpowder prepared as before. But here great Care must be
taken, that by the Warmth of the Hand, or of the Air in the Room, the
Ice does not melt; if so, every Drop of Water therefrom considerably
diminishes the received Electricity. In Order to obviate this, I caused
my Assistant, while he was electrifying, to be continually wiping the
Ice dry upon a Napkin hung to the Buttons of his Coat, and this being
electrified as well as the Ice, prevented any Loss of the Force of the
Electricity. The Experiment will succeed likewise, if, instead of the
Ice, you electrify the Spirit, _&c._ and bring the Ice not electrified
near them. I must observe, that Ice is not so ready a Conductor of
Electricity as Water; so that I very frequently have been disappointed
in endeavouring with it to fire inflammable Substances, when it has been
readily done by a Sword or the Finger of a Man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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