. The evolution of forces . way or another, andthus receives a definite quantity of electricity, themagnitude of which is easily measurable. Let usbring near to this sphere at a little distance aconductor—for example, a long cylinder of metalB, C, placed on an insulator D. We immediatelyrecognize by the ordinary means that the cylinderis charged with electricity. If the ball has in thefirst instance received positive electricity, it will beobserved that the part of the cylinder next to it ischarged with negative and its other extremity with THE TRANSFORMATION OF MATTER 5 positive electricity.
. The evolution of forces . way or another, andthus receives a definite quantity of electricity, themagnitude of which is easily measurable. Let usbring near to this sphere at a little distance aconductor—for example, a long cylinder of metalB, C, placed on an insulator D. We immediatelyrecognize by the ordinary means that the cylinderis charged with electricity. If the ball has in thefirst instance received positive electricity, it will beobserved that the part of the cylinder next to it ischarged with negative and its other extremity with THE TRANSFORMATION OF MATTER 5 positive electricity. If, then, this latter is touched soas to connect it with the earth, the whole cylinderremains charged with negative electricity. Thismay now be transferred to some other body bymoving the cylinder by its insulated support. After having discharged the cylinder we haveonly, in order to recharge it, to bring it again nearthe ball and to act as before. As these successiveoperations,—charge and discharge of the cylinder,—. Fig. 1.—Classic experiment of electrification by influence (appa-rently indefinite production of electricity by a body chargedwith a limited quantity of electricity). can be repeated an unlimited number of times, itnecessarily follows that, with the limited chargeof electricity on an electrified ball, there can begenerated on another body an unlimited quantityof electricity. Physicists, moreover, recognize this clearly. Jaminsays in his Cours de Physique de VEcole Polytechnique(4th ed. vol. iv. fasc. i. p. 137): Influence enables usto obtain, by means of a limited quantity of posi-tive electricity, an indefinite quantity of negative ii6 THE EVOLUTION OF FORCES
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