Chapter I: Front Matter

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_.

By _WILLIAM WATSON_, F. R. S.

_LONDON_:

Printed for C. DAVIS, Printer to the _Royal
Society_, against _Gray's-Inn, Holborn_.

MDCCXLVI.

[Price One Shilling.]

THE
PREFACE.

_The following Sheets were not intended to be made publick, but as part of the Philosophical Transactions. As those Works are printed in the order of Time they are read; these Observations, communicated to the_ ROYAL SOCIETY _at different Meetings, would, upon that Account, have been publish'd separate in different Numbers of those Transactions. To satisfy therefore the Impatience of several learned and very valuable Friends, to whose Importunities I have neither Will, nor Inclination to deny any thing in my Power to grant, I caused a few Copies to be printed, that the whole might be seen together, and then broke up the Press. This has excited the Curiosity of the Publick, and raised a Demand for these Experiments much beyond what I had reason to expect. I therefore found it necessary to send them to the Press a second Time, lest some of those over-officious Gentlemen, who are always ready on these Occasions, should do it for me; so that whoever has an Inclination, may now be made acquainted, by what Means the several surprizing Phænomena of Electricity have been brought about._

_I chose to lay these Papers before the Publick in the same Dress wherein they appeared before the very honourable and learned Body, to whom, as the various Effects of Electricity presented themselves, they were regularly communicated, and from whom they met with a very favourable Reception. Many Members of the_ ROYAL SOCIETY, _as well as several other Persons of great Rank and Quality, have been repeated Witnesses of the Facts which are here laid before the World; particularly the present worthy President_, MARTIN FOLKES, Esq; _whose extensive Abilities and great Knowledge in every Branch of useful Literature are exceeded only by his Candour and Zeal in promoting Science. The Advice and Assistance of this Gentleman, whose Friendship I shall always esteem as one of the greatest Happinesses of my Life, has been of great Moment in the Prosecution of these Discoveries. I therefore take this publick Manner of testifying my sincerest Obligations as well to him, as to Sir_ HANS SLOANE, Bart. _who, although retired from Business, is nevertheless attentive to whatever tends to the Advancement of Philosophy. Upon a Report made to him of these Experiments and Observations, he, as surviving Executor of Sir_ GODFREY COPLEY, _was pleased to appoint me last Year to receive the annual Prize-medal of Gold, given by the_ ROYAL SOCIETY _in consequence of Sir_ GODFREY'S _Benefaction. The Honour of being so particularly taken notice of by Gentlemen of such distinguished Merit, as it cannot but give me the highest Pleasure, so shall it ever continue to raise in me Sentiments of the truest Gratitude, and most profound Respect._

_IF it should be asked, to what useful Purposes the Effects of Electricity can be applied, it may be answered, that we are not as yet so far advanced in these Discoveries as to render them conducive to the Service of Mankind. Perfection in any Branch of Philosophy is to be attained but by slow Gradations. It is our Duty to be still going forward; the rest we must leave to the Direction of that Providence, which we know assuredly, has created nothing in vain. But I make no Scruple to assert, that notwithstanding the great Advances, which have been made in this part of natural Philosophy within these few Years, many and great Properties remain still undiscover'd. Future Philosophers (some perhaps even of the present Age) may deduce from electrical Experiments, Uses extremely beneficial to Society in general._

_NO present Advantage accrued to those Persons, or to that Age, which first discover'd the Properties of the Magnet. Many hundreds of Years intervened, before they were applied to the great Uses of Navigation. Had these remain'd a secret till now, what other Methods could have been substituted in their Place, by which we could securely traverse the vast Ocean? All the Advantages we receive from distant Commerce, we must still have been Strangers to, but for this fortunate Application of the magnetical Power. And even the Discoveries thus far had been very imperfect, without the Knowledge of the Variation of the Compass. But the present Age, and even this Nation, boasts of a Gentleman[1], who seems to be entrusted with the magnetical Powers themselves. He makes artificial Magnets, increases in a few Minutes the Powers of real ones to a surprizing Degree, changes at Pleasure their Poles, and makes that newly acquired Polarity, permanent. The World, I hope, will not long be deprived of the Manner, by which these extraordinary Changes are produced, which as yet this Gentleman thinks proper to conceal. As Electricity has some Properties in common with Magnetism, as will be shewn in the Course of these Observations; some new Lights probably may be thrown upon both. But to return; admitting even, that no substantial Advantages could arise from the Inquiries before us, (which, however, we can by no means grant, upon our considering the Effects we already perceive of its Operations upon human Bodies) whatever tends to enlarge the Conceptions of the Mind, and to implant in us still more lofty Ideas of the Almighty Author of Nature, deserves certainly, independent of other Considerations, our highest Regard._

_THESE Experiments were all made with Glass Tubes of about two Foot long; the bore about an Inch in Diameter. But a scrupulous Exactness in these Proportions is no ways necessary. The thinner and lighter these Tubes are, the sooner they are excited; though they, 'tis true, don't retain their Power so long as those, which are more thick and substantial. But where you intend to communicate the electrical Power, as fast as you excite it, I should prefer a light Tube; though it ought never to be less than 1/12 of an Inch thick, because of the Danger of breaking it by the Friction._

_THE Tube, before it is rubbed, should be always made dry and warm, which may be done by laying it before the Fire. But I cannot omit hereupon making one further Remark_; viz. _that Glass Tubes, exactly of the same Dimensions, made at the same Time, and with the same Materials, vary considerably with regard to their fitness for electrical Purposes. Clear and dry Air with some degree of cold is most eligible, though I have succeeded in the greatest Fogs, but with more Difficulty._

TO
_Martin Folkes_, Esq;
P. R. S.

_SIR_,

THE Society having heard from some of their Correspondents in _Germany_, that what they call a Vegetable Quintessence had been fired by Electricity, I take this Opportunity to acquaint you, that on _Friday_ Evening last I succeeded, after having been disappointed in many Attempts, in setting Spirits of Wine on Fire by that Power. The preceding Part of the Week had been remarkably warm, and the Air very dry, than which nothing is more necessary towards the Success of Electrical Trials; to these I may add, that the Wind was then Easterly and inclining to freeze. I that Evening used a glass Sphere as well as a Tube; but I always find myself capable of sending forth much more Fire from the Tube than from the Sphere, probably from not being sufficiently used to the last.