Electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics : showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity / By Alfred C. Garratt.
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ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY.
A little over one hundred years ago Dr. Benjamin Frank-
lin, the illustrious native of Boston, Massachusetts, first of
all obtained the proof that the lightning and thunder of the
clouds, are due to electricity alone, and are indeed the same as
electricity artificially produced by means of friction accumu-
lated and discharged by the Leyden jar. True, this was strongly
conjectured in all those years, as indeed it had been by the
Romans for centuries before, but no one could prove it. In
physics, it is experiment and demonstration, first and alone, that
can decide. Therefore our Franklin resolved to send into that
region of thunder, and bring to earth a spark of evidence, which
he actually accomplished in 1752, by means of his famous kite.
And this proved a satisfactory answer. By it the learned
world was truly electrified. New interest every where burst
forth in this field of natural science. At once, from the city of
Mexico to Moscow and St. Petersburg, kites were flying in the
service of philosophy. Other effective means were also soon
devised to witness this then new and extremely interesting phe-
nomenon. M. de Romas, in June, 1753, raised his kite for this
purpose, with a very fine copper wire inlaid through the whole
length of the kite-string; and thus he obtained most wonderful
effects. It is said that he drew from the kite, which was
thrust high into the midst of the shower clouds, sparks or streaks
of lightning from eight to ten feet long, and one inch in diam-
eter. Notwithstanding his precaution, in using large glass insu-
lators, with which to hold the kite-string while experimenting,
he was knocked down by a shock, but was not killed. Professor
Richmann, of St. Petersburg, however, erected a tall iron rod
for the same purpose, and during a thunder storm it led a bolt
of lightning into his house. The rod not being well connected
with the ground, or perhaps not at all, as he stooped down
to watch the experiment at the bottom of the rod, and near the
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