I beg Leave to Communicate to you a few Experiments and observations on Electricity, both common and atmostpherical, and to have your opinion of them.
It seems to me that Electricks per Se or Non Conductors do not contain more of the Elctrick Fluid than Non Electricks. For An Insulated Wire being heated at one end, and having Light threads hanging from any Part of it did not shew the Least sign of being Electrified when a Stick of wax was applied to the heated part of the wire; tho’ wax becomes non Electrick by melting: Neither did an In[s]ulated Wire shew any Sign of Electricity after a Piece of Melted Glass coold on it; tho’ (According to Mr. Willson) melted Glass is non electrick.
The Expansion, or contracktion of a body Seems not to Electrifie it for a Wire put in an open thermometer of Spirit of Wine, non electrick; or oil of Turpentine an electrick per se; Shew’d no Sign of electricity either when the Liquor contracted or expanded. The Air in a Room may be electrified either positively or negatively by applying either the hook or coating of a charg’d Phial to one end of an insulated Wire sharp Pointed at the other end.
The Electricity of the Air shews itself only by causing cork balls hung in contact, or threads, to repell each other. In a frost, in a fog, and sometimes in a Mist with small Rain I have found the Air without Doors to be electrified, and even in a frosty Night tho there was no Aurora Borealis; in all these Cases the Electricity was positive. When the Summer came I never could find the Air to be electrified except from Thunder or Showers and then the Electricity was sometimes negative, and sometimes positive. And was much Stronger than that in the winter. We had two Thunder Storms this Summer. In the 1st. I try’d Mr. Cantons curious Electrometer Described Phil: Transac. Vol 48 Part 2d. No 93 which I allways carry in my Pocket along with a stick of sealing wax and another of Glass but the wind agitated the Cork Balls in such a manner that I could not satisfie my self; which is an inconvenience I know not how to remedy.
The Next day I satisfied mySelf both by the Electrometer and by holding a Pole round which a Wire was twisted while I Stood on wax. There were changes from negative to positive and from that to negative and lastly to positive.