A Treatise on Electricity Wherein its various phænomena are accounted for, and the cause of the attraction and gravitation of solids, assigned. To which is added, a — Inside the Classic

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Its various _phænomena_ are accounted for, and the cause of the _attraction_ and _gravitation_ of solids, assigned.

A short account, how the electrical _effluvia_ act upon the animal frame, and in what disorders the same may probably be applied with success, and in what not.

By FRANCIS PENROSE Surgeon at _Bicester_.

They who are universally allowed the very greatest, and wisest of men, have been, and still are, intent upon the making of _observations_, and _experiments_: and surely that must be in order to some further end. These would be vain, and wholely useless, were not some reflections made, some conclusions drawn, some theory or hypothesis raised from them.

_Woodward_’s state of _physick_ and of _diseases_, p. 55.

Printed at the THEATRE for SACKVILLE PARKER, Bookseller at _Oxford_, and W. OWEN, at _Homer’s Head, Temple-Bar, London_. MD CC LII.

The many surprising effects of _electricity_, and the great cures performed by it, one would imagine, should awaken the attention of all philosophers and physicians; but as these cures have been effected by random experiments, every body has admired, but no body seems to have considered how, or by what means, they were performed. Whence

Notwithstanding all these surprising _phænomena_, from which many have entertained hopes of a great addition to the healing art; yet not one tolerable account has been given, how, or from what cause, these _phænomena_ proceeded; except what has been done by Mr. _Freke_, surgeon to _Bartholomew hospital_; whose admirable piece shews the great penetration of its worthy author, with whom I shall join in thinking “it may possibly be the beginning of much good.”

One would think, this silence, on so interesting a subject, _in this enlightened age_, can proceed from nothing but a prejudice in favour of wrong principles of philosophy: That this is certainly the taste of the present age, M. _Freke_ seems very well convinced; for, at the end of his pamphlet, he takes notice of a show-man, who, “having published some experiments in electricity, and hearing that Mr. _Freke_’s piece was publishing, own’d, he was much affrightened, because of the hard fate, as he said, of his booksellers; but, before he had read two pages, he likewise owned he had recovered his spirits, when he found Mr. _Freke_ pretended to think for himself, and did not let Sr. _Isaac Newton_ think for him.”

Now, if all persons would take the same freedom of thinking for themselves, as Mr. _Freke_ has done, I doubt not but we should soon be as much ashamed of mentioning the _attraction_ of _gravitation_, and the _attraction_ of _cohesion_ &c. as we now are of the _occult qualities_ of the ancient philosophers; and should perhaps, then agree with him, when, speaking of electricity, he says, that “it is a subject which can, with more nobleness and dignity, employ the mind of man, than any he can think of, relating to the sublunary part of the world. For by it you may be acquainted with the immediate officer of God Almighty, which he seems to send to all things living: Nay, this power, (according to his conception,) seems to be the cause, under HIM, both of life and death. And when it may be more fully understood, it may afford us means, whereby we may be better enabled to reason more intelligibly, than now we can, concerning various operations in nature.” Therefore,

In the following essay, I shall endeavour to shew,

I. How, and from whence, this electrical fire and force are produced; in doing of which I shall make some observations, in order to shew that we may form a more exact idea of most of the great operations of that complete machine, the universe, from electrical experiments, than can be attained by any other means: I shall also produce some experiments which demonstrate, that the terraqueous globe has no _attraction_; nor a solid body, falling towards the earth, any _gravitation_; after which, I shall bring other experiments to prove what is the cause of _solidity_, and by what means bodies _gravitate_ towards the earth.

II. How this electrical fire and force act upon the animal frame, and in what disorders they are likely to be of benefit, and in what not.

I. We are certain, that this electrical fire is produced, either from the glass globe, or the air that surrounds it. As to the glass globe, Mr. _Freke_ has fully proved it cannot proceed from that; “Because nothing, we know of, can send out of it a quantity of matter, but there must be less of