Volume 3

Lectures on natural and experimental philosophy : considered in it's [sic] present state of improvement describing, in a familiar and easy manner, the principal phenomena of nature, and shewing, that they all co-operate in displaying the goodness, wisdom, and power of God / by George Adams.

  • Adams, George, 1750-1795.
Date:
1794
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on natural and experimental philosophy : considered in it's [sic] present state of improvement describing, in a familiar and easy manner, the principal phenomena of nature, and shewing, that they all co-operate in displaying the goodness, wisdom, and power of God / by George Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the weather is not ferenc, it is inipofhblc to afiigii any rule for their variation, as no regular corref- pondence can then be'’perceived with the different hours of the day, nor with the various modifica- tions of the air. The reafon is evident ; w hen con- trary and variable winds reign at dilferent heights, when clouds arc rolling over clouds, thefe winds and clouds, which we cannot j)crceive by any ex- terior fign, influence, however, the ftrata of air in which we make our experiments, produce thofe changes of which we only fee the refult, without being able to aflign either the caufe, or it’s relation. Thus, in hormy weather, we fee the eledricity Ifrong, then null, and in a moment after arife to it’s former force; one infant vitreous, the next rc~ finous; without being able to affign any reafon for thefe changes. Mr. de SaulTure lays, that he has fecn thefe changes fucceed with fuch rapidity, that he had not time to note them down. When rain falls without a form, thefe chancres are not fo fudden ; they are, however, very irregu- lar, particularly with refped to the intenlity of force; the quality thereof is more confant. Rain or fnow almoft uniformly give vitreous elec- tricity. The hate of the air, in which the electricity is Ifrongeh, is foggy weather; this is always ac- companied w ith electricity, except when the fog is going to refolve into rain. The molf interelfing obfervations, and thofe which throw the greatcfl: light upon the various modifications of electricity in our atmofphere, arc thofe that are made in ferenc weather.' In winter, ■(during which moll ot Mr. de SaulTure’s obferva- tions were made) and in ferenc weather, the elec- tricity was generally weakefl: in an evening, when the dew had fallen, until the moment of the fun’s filing; it’s intenlity afterwards augmented by de-