extracts of two letters from the rev. henry miles, d. d. & f. r. s. to mr. henry baker, f. r. s....

Extracts of Two Letters from the Rev. Henry Miles, D. D. &F. R. S. to Mr. Henry Baker, F. R.S. concerning the Effects of a Cane of Black Sealing-Wax, and a Cane of Brimstone, inElectrical ExperimentsAuthor(s): Henry MilesSource: Philosophical Transactions (1683-1775), Vol. 44 (1746 - 1747), pp. 27-32Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/104772 .

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1: 27 ] They procure a Bou;,ll of \0JItte-tloorn, xvlllcl

abounds xxritla Nulubers of Tllorns; one of NYtRiC thear cut o*; and falhioll illtO the Forln repretented by iq. TAB. I. Fi. 2.

To tllis tlley tie a Piece of TlareadJ as pi2tlred at B.

Tllen tlocy take a tRrorm alld {l,p it on tlle Tllorn and Tluread together, as is {hcxvn at C Tlle otller

End of tlle Tllreacl tlley fallell to Cotne finall l>Nt{g that 11angs over the Ristuler, as S)*

Thus tlley do by follle Hundreds at a tiIne; by wvllich tnealls they fcldoln fail of catcllin", a gteac tllanat FiShes: For llo footler does a Fith take the \\rorn] llltO itS Motltll, alld endeavour tO be gone, than its bloutlu is ga;,ged quite open, and it is preh fently dronvlled.

7at 16. I 7+5-6. - , -

V ExfrvSs of lWo Letters froen the Rev Henry Miles, SD. D, 89 F. R, S to Mr. Henry Baker, F. R. S. coacerntng the m feSs of a Caxe of black Sealinywax, and a Ca>e of BrimRone, ir EleErical ked rXEotens.

t.

iDevr Sxr,

Re4d Jant 23 EING determined on makint, fome

7 >*6 D Experitnents in Eledricity wvith

other Bodies befldes Glqfs} a little befole the Holi D X days

1: 27 ] They procure a Bou;,ll of \0JItte-tloorn, xvlllcl

abounds xxritla Nulubers of Tllorns; one of NYtRiC thear cut o*; and falhioll illtO the Forln repretented by iq. TAB. I. Fi. 2.

To tllis tlley tie a Piece of TlareadJ as pi2tlred at B.

Tllen tlocy take a tRrorm alld {l,p it on tlle Tllorn and Tluread together, as is {hcxvn at C Tlle otller

End of tlle Tllreacl tlley fallell to Cotne finall l>Nt{g that 11angs over the Ristuler, as S)*

Thus tlley do by follle Hundreds at a tiIne; by wvllich tnealls they fcldoln fail of catcllin", a gteac tllanat FiShes: For llo footler does a Fith take the \\rorn] llltO itS Motltll, alld endeavour tO be gone, than its bloutlu is ga;,ged quite open, and it is preh fently dronvlled.

7at 16. I 7+5-6. - , -

V ExfrvSs of lWo Letters froen the Rev Henry Miles, SD. D, 89 F. R, S to Mr. Henry Baker, F. R. S. coacerntng the m feSs of a Caxe of black Sealinywax, and a Ca>e of BrimRone, ir EleErical ked rXEotens.

t.

iDevr Sxr,

Re4d Jant 23 EING determined on makint, fome

7 >*6 D Experitnents in Eledricity wvith

other Bodies befldes Glqfs} a little befole the Holi D X days



[ 28 ] d .)-s I pro;urect a Stick oftllc leF lJlack Sealilsg sva.5; ot abotlt all I]c1w in TlaickncSsX atld of a collvcnient Lctlr,tI<; alld cSciting it NVitll xvhite-bronvn Papcr, or clxatl .Arst FIallcl (I klloxnr not xstllicll is lJe{][) I nade tluc tollonvilz", Trials.

I attclllptcd to killdle comtuollEatup-Spixits, IJotl lJy ^Nttradion and Repulfioll, the elcdrified PerSot ilandinr on a CaIzc of Becs-xYax, stld fucceeded. I madc Trial, at the {atlle tinzc, vitll nzy >1a1s Tube, an<S, I tllillk, kindled tlle Spirits lllore eaitly. Per- l;aps, frolll lome ciresllmallces llercaffer to be llzelo- tioned, this alay, rateris pari6gs, be gellerally ex- pezied.

I t3s tllen nlinded to repeat tlat Experilllent of the Iate illgenious and induLlrious Dr. 2)eJfugiers, and otilers; by xvllich it appears, tllat NvllCll Glly ligllt Body is put illtO a State of Repulrloll by vitre-

ous ElcEtricity, it iS in a State of AttraStiollj in> tc- fpeEt of rctinous ElcEtricity, and fo e santra. Tilis I folllld conantly to hold good. - I nzade tllis Trial wa.itll a Doxvn*Featlaer} WlliC0l NVAS tied to tllc- End of a pendulous TllrcadX xvhiclS Tlltead xvas tcd to a filk Line, fallcncd llorizontally to ellc OppOfitC Sides of ath: Roonl, and alSo with a fmall Piece of so7riting Paper, of about-tlle fame DinzeRSons as the F¢atllere Her-e 1 tound the Feather xrould rctain rlle EtYsqvij (svlletller of tile Tllbe or Catle) al)QUt fine or fix -NIilzltcs longcr tllan th@ Paper nvotlld; that is, the Fcatller rcmained {o tnuch lollger ill a Statc of Re- pulfion. Tllc Time ill ^hicll the Papcr was itl a State of Repul-loloxll a+ter many Trials, I fotlnd to be about trentv lKlinutes) nlore or leEs; at about svlaicIz tialc tlue Papcr xvould indecd IQ1nC\^!hat ttlllibly de

islillM

3



[-'z'9 J cline the Tllbes eic btl;t in a Alomett srould be attradtcd lJy tlucm; and it I ftaid lotzger, I could not perceive any repulfive Force retnaining.

I ought to tcll yotz} llwat wllen I 11ad, by feve1a Trials, foulld OUt about wlwslt tile the Bg?Wsi, svould be quite difllpated, I forbore tmakilz-g any Trials till tllen, leA tllat, by bringin:, the Tube or Canc nearthc Body of TtialXI mit,lat cotnnaullicate freh

E,zva, and perpettlate the State of Rcpultion

lonrer tllan it arould otllcrxvile have bcen fO tllatX

itl tllc la{t Trials I mada, I nevcr canze near witll the

Tube, eSr, till full twenty Minutes after tlle Body of Trial was put into a State of AcptllSon, I ob-

{crvcd not any nzaterial Difference of Time bctnveen

tlue Dialpatioll of the Eativ of tlle glags TubeX alld

thofe of tlle \07ax Cane, NYIlCil tl1C ramc Body of

lsrial was macle uSe of for bOtll: If tllcre was any

Difference I tl ink tlle vitreous Xvia xvere tlle

mo(} I>afiing.

I nzadc alzetllcr Trial svitll tlle Cane alld Tule in

a dark Room; bcing led to it from a Sufpicion I llads that tlle Eff^4viv froln tlle xntax Calle were groffier, and ulolc in QuantityX tl1an tllofe frolal tlle glaEs Tube; and UpOll CSCitiNg both as qtlick as I could in SucceElolzX I fotlnd tIze lelmillous E17ltwviczX nvllen I brou^llt nl>7 Forefin¢er llcar tllc RVaxX tQ proceed in a mun:ll orcatcr Q lantity to tlle C.anc fro.al tllc trip of

Finger) tilan thcy did on tlle fame Trial nvitll tlze

Tubc of Glafs And I fc cral times obferved a Imall

glolular Sl)ot of Fire to appcar filll on my Fitlert

irotn \vlliCl illil¢d regtllar Streanzs itl Form of a COllctS rrailt

\v}1c1}



[ 3° 1 llrllen I tnade ufe oftlwc gluSs Ttlbe, as tllc Qlantity

w^ras lefs, fo tlle Sparks xverc fint.r, 1c{s in ThickllcEs alld ill Lengtlls but tllucll ta ore aflcive; nor did tlley pro- ce6zd io reglllarly tosrards the Tube, nor makc fo rcgl11ar all Appcarance (t)Cillg fcldom, if ever, alto- ;>¢tlliQl' l¢gular, as tle otllcrs) ; frequelltly breaking in l'icces, as if l))r Collifoll, or not altot,ether unlike tllC SSEAIKS frolll a Brand itl a Wood Fire, wllich has lain lonr NAtitllOUt being fiirred. Another Difference I renlarkcd svas, that tlle refitlous Eglxvia vere more si^eplar coloured than tlue vitreous.

2 XVIlether it be not probable, tllat tlle rcSinous Fgtia are more unEtuous or fulphureous tllan rlle wltreous; and becauCc lloc rO adive and nitrous, leEs spt to kindle illtRanlalablc Spirits, as I tllink I lound tllem tO be ?

I intreat l may not be confidcred as pretending, n the aboveTrials3 to clablilh Laws, but, as plaitlly

telatint, Mattcrs of Fad. Perl<aps future Trials may w-ot confirm tlzcSex

I tllink it not a CircumPtance too impertincllt to be mention'd) that tlle Trials relating tO RepUlflOn

svere lllade in a fmall Room, and near a Fire; tile ;Nir prctey nzoi0.

Dear Sir, fS3tiANg, ya#. I S

1745-6s roUr noS a«egioNate rrieng,

aztd obliged SvrvantX

X1. AXlilese

J



[ 3t ]

II.

Extvc¢? of vsother :Letzer frG;8; Dr. Miles, foozi>g, 7an. 2z. I745-6v

ANI cltlbious wlactht r I did not exnl^<fs mySelf in a A1anner linblw to le taliFalidcriloocl wilen I Eaid

to tilis Pulpofe, that I ^offfZnor be XHderJ?ood to eCabEifi L6lws by te Aore->nentisned E;rlveriayentsa bst oaly to relate Falis; ancS tls at fatare Expen- wents rnight nor sonf ev tt.Sefe. I did not illtend tnis naould extend to that Experinaent, nvhicll pl'OVCS

tlle diffcret1t Matilre of vitreous awd tefitious Effvia r nvilicil I pl'Ct;Itll£, may bc cont;<lv<ttS as invariable in-ilerellt Prs:>pertics; Lo thit I3odies, ptlt into a State

of Rcpuiltolu by the oneJ xvill 1e attrad;ted by tlz£ otiler, Cr. Btit X11¢ otlwcr VPA3S?7ZD.v.CS}.4, as dcpeliding Otl Cllilil'>eRblC (virCUll;lnAllCeSx tllC rctuptt2.ture Of

llle AirX thc D<sree in xvllicll alue elcdric Bodies may cllancc to bc cscirc.S, tllc QRa;utity of EffIoi atld perlaaps otllcrs tO us tltlklloutn; t3:we other Pho- znesaa (I frly), dcpentlitlD on fucll likc Circun Prances, nay bc s*uriabl>*

I bcg Lca e to inforln you tllat I 11ave lJeen makintr, T.iat nvith a Stick vf bulplaur of TlRe comnaotl SOLIt? nvhicil I tnade of a s:onvcaniclzt SizeX ly caltlng it into a Coffill ots Papcrw tllC Inlode bcil1¢ 'of srtiting Papcv:T-lli3, bei., xciod, altra&;ed tile lAuncl1 of Threads svitls grttlt Power} alid ki£ldled conznaoll Spirits as quick <s ̂ ;er < kncsw it <Sonc. [llis sras afte-r Nigilt, asl:l I (asr not wllat the D.tyligilt aftcr- nuards diCcover'd, tilat tile i1zfide Rolind of Papcr adw

her'd



[ 32 ]

11cr'tt to tlle Stalphur alzd it Iad luacte its\Ntay tllro tlle Papcr, svhicll conceal'd thc Colour of tl1C Papcr, alld its Adherclace, till next Day; IRO9JeVe1 it PCr- fortu'd as above. - - - This syas brolQe, by aa Attelmpt to flrip tlle Paper off tlle Stick by a too officious Per-

fon, nvitllout my KnosvlcdDe. I tllcll caft anoeller

\Vitl1 tl1C fAn1e Sl1lPIRU1^X AlLd 11 Addition of fre0ls tuclted togctlle1^ ill a wood DIould, M llicll came out fllIootll and svell ; lJut xvas pct-lSuaded, againEt nly ONV11 Judmellt} to put a Gurs-Ratnmcr into the lmiddle of 1wc Mc)uld,to flrelzrtllen it; nvllich Stick anSsrer'd tllat Elld; but, as I fear'd it xrollld turll out} the Sulplaur, tlloa of a rreat TlliclrncEs rorlxld tlle iaid Gun-flick, cotlld by no means lre excitcd to any toleralJlc De- ^,rec. I tllcrcforc luade a tlaild, as tlle firhX xvllicl llas tlle Paper on it as bcfole, but it pertorels ex- ceeding well: Having ftlfl5ct'd nzyfelf to be eledErified xvitll it, upo11 the Approacll of a Pclfion's Finger to Xnine, I 11ad by far tlae moft painful Scnlwation I cser yct felt in any of thefe Experianents. I beliese a DlaEs Tnbe migl1t be bcft of all for a Mould (but ulinc are of tOO finall a Borc), if o1zz could be all-tlred it stould not break.



extracts of two letters from the rev. henry miles, d. d. & f. r. s. to mr. henry baker, f. r. s....

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