a history of science-2-第61章

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o　have　conceived　the　idea；　simultaneously　and　independently；　of　generating　electricity　by　revolving　globes　run　by　belt　and　wheel　in　much　the　same　manner　as　the　apparatus　of　Hauksbee。　With　such　machines　it　was　possible　to　generate　a　much　greater　amount　of　electricity　than　Dufay　had　been　able　to　do　with　the　rubbed　tube；　and　so　equipped；　the　two　German　professors　were　able　to　generate　electric　sparks　and　jets　of　fire　in　a　most　startling　manner。　Bose　in　particular　had　a　love　for　the　spectacular；　which　he　turned　to　account　with　his　new　electrical　machine　upon　many　occasions。　On　one　of　these　occasions　he　prepared　an　elaborate　dinner；　to　which　a　large　number　of　distinguished　guests　were　invited。　Before　the　arrival　of　the　company；　however；　Bose　insulated　the　great　banquet…table　on　cakes　of　pitch；　and　then　connected　it　with　a　huge　electrical　machine　concealed　in　another　room。　All　being　ready；　and　the　guests　in　their　places　about　to　be　seated；　Bose　gave　a　secret　signal　for　starting　this　machine；　when；　to　the　astonishment　of　the　party；　flames　of　fire　shot　from　flowers；　dishes；　and　viands；　giving　a　most　startling　but　beautiful　display。　To　add　still　further　to　the　astonishment　of　his　guests；　Bose　then　presented　a　beautiful　young　lady；　to　whom　each　of　the　young　men　of　the　party　was　introduced。　In　some　mysterious　manner　she　was　insulated　and　connected　with　the　concealed　electrical　machine；　so　that　as　each　gallant　touched　her　fingertips　he　received　an　electric　shock　that　〃made　him　reel。〃　Not　content　with　this；　the　host　invited　the　young　men　to　kiss　the　beautiful　maid。　But　those　who　were　bold　enough　to　attempt　it　received　an　electric　shock　that　nearly　〃knocked　their　teeth　out；〃　as　the　professor　tells　it。

LUDOLFF'S　EXPERIMENT　WITH　THE　ELECTRIC　SPARK　But　Bose　was　only　one　of　several　German　scientists　who　were　making　elaborate　experiments。　While　Bose　was　constructing　and　experimenting　with　his　huge　machine；　another　German；　Christian　Friedrich　Ludolff；　demonstrated　that　electric　sparks　are　actual　firea　fact　long　suspected　but　hitherto　unproved。　Ludolff's　discovery；　as　it　chanced；　was　made　in　the　lecture…hall　of　the　reorganized　Academy　of　Sciences　at　Berlin；　before　an　audience　of　scientists　and　great　personages；　at　the　opening　lecture　in　1744。　In　the　course　of　this　lecture　on　electricity；　during　which　some　of　the　well…known　manifestations　of　electricity　were　being　shown；　it　occurred　to　Ludolff　to　attempt　to　ignite　some　inflammable　fluid　by　projecting　an　electric　spark　upon　its　surface　with　a　glass　rod。　This　idea　was　suggested　to　him　while　performing　the　familiar　experiment　of　producing　a　spark　on　the　surface　of　a　bowl　of　water　by　touching　it　with　a　charged　glass　rod。　He　announced　to　his　audience　the　experiment　he　was　about　to　attempt；　and　having　warmed　a　spoonful　of　sulphuric　ether；　he　touched　its　surface　with　the　glass　rod；　causing　it　to　burst　into　flame。　This　experiment　left　no　room　for　doubt　that　the　electric　spark　was　actual　fire。　As　soon　as　this　experiment　of　Ludolff's　was　made　known　to　Bose；　he　immediately　claimed　that　he　had　previously　made　similar　demonstrations　on　various　inflammable　substances；　both　liquid　and　solid；　and　it　seems　highly　probable　that　he　had　done　so；　as　he　was　constantly　experimenting　with　the　sparks；　and　must　almost　certainly　have　set　certain　substances　ablaze　by　accident；　if　not　by　intent。　At　all　events；　he　carried　on　a　series　of　experiments　along　this　line　to　good　purpose；　finally　succeeding　in　exploding　gun…powder；　and　so　making　the　first　forerunner　of　the　electric　fuses　now　so　universally　used　in　blasting；　firing　cannon；　and　other　similar　purposes。　It　was　Bose　also　who；　observing　some　of　the　peculiar　manifestations　in　electrified　tubes；　and　noticing　their　resemblance　to　〃northern　lights；〃　was　one　of　the　first；　if　not　the　first；　to　suggest　that　the　aurora　borealis　is　of　electric　origin。　These　spectacular　demonstrations　had　the　effect　of　calling　public　attention　to　the　fact　that　electricity　is　a　most　wonderful　and　mysterious　thing；　to　say　the　least；　and　kept　both　scientists　and　laymen　agog　with　expectancy。　Bose　himself　was　aflame　with　excitement；　and　so　determined　in　his　efforts　to　produce　still　stronger　electric　currents；　that　he　sacrificed　the　tube　of　his　twenty…foot　telescope　for　the　construction　of　a　mammoth　electrical　machine。　With　this　great　machine　a　discharge　of　electricity　was　generated　powerful　enough　to　wound　the　skin　when　it　happened　to　strike　it。　Until　this　time　electricity　had　been　little　more　than　a　plaything　of　the　scientistsor；　at　least；　no　practical　use　had　been　made　of　it。　As　it　was　a　practising　physician；　Gilbert；　who　first　laid　the　foundation　for　experimenting　with　the　new　substance；　so　again　it　was　a　medical　man　who　first　attempted　to　put　it　to　practical　use；　and　that　in　the　field　of　his　profession。　Gottlieb　Kruger；　a　professor　of　medicine　at　Halle　in　1743；　suggested　that　electricity　might　be　of　use　in　some　branches　of　medicine；　and　the　year　following　Christian　Gottlieb　Kratzenstein　made　a　first　experiment　to　determine　the　effects　of　electricity　upon　the　body。　He　found　that　〃the　action　of　the　heart　was　accelerated；　the　circulation　increased；　and　that　muscles　were　made　to　contract　by　the　discharge〃：　and　he　began　at　once　administering　electricity　in　the　treatment　of　certain　diseases。　He　found　that　it　acted　beneficially　in　rheumatic　affections；　and　that　it　was　particularly　useful　in　certain　nervous　diseases；　such　as　palsies。　This　was　over　a　century　ago；　and　to…day　about　the　most　important　use　made　of　the　particular　kind　of　electricity　with　which　he　experimented　（the　static；　or　frictional）　is　for　the　treatment　of　diseases　affecting　the　nervous　system。　By　the　middle　of　the　century　a　perfect　mania　for　making　electrical　machines　had　spread　over　Europe；　and　the　whirling；　hand…rubbed　globes　were　gradually　replaced　by　great　cylinders　rubbed　by　woollen　cloths　or　pads；　and　generating　an　〃enormous　power　of　electricity。〃　These　cylinders　were　run　by　belts　and　foot…treadles；　and　gave　a　more　powerful；　constant；　and　satisfactory　current　than　known　heretofore。　While　making　experiments　with　one　of　these　machines；　Johann　Heinrichs　Winkler　attempted　to　measure　the　speed　at　which　electricity　travels。　To　do　this　he　extended　a　cord　suspended　on　silk　threads；　with　the　end　attached　to　the　machine　and　the　end　which　was　to　attract　the　bits　of　gold…leaf　near　enough　together　so　that　the　operator　could　watch　and　measure　the　interval　of　time　that　elapsed　between　the　starting　of　the　current　along　the　cord　and　its　attracting　the　gold…leaf。　The　length　of　the　cord　used　in　this　experiment　was　only　a　little　over　a　hundred　feet；　and　this　was；　of　course；　entirely　inadequate；　the　current　travelling　that　space　apparently　instantaneously。　The　improved　method　of　generating　electricity　that　had　come　into　general　use　made　several　of　the　scientists　again　turn　their　attention　more　particularly　to　attempt　putting　it　to　some　practical　account。　They　were　stimulated　to　these　efforts　by　the　constant　reproaches　that　were　beginning　to　be　heard　on　all　sides　that　electricity　was　merely　a　〃philosopher's　plaything。〃　One　of　the　first　to　succeed　in　inventing　something　that　approached　a　practical　mechanical　contrivance　was　Andrew　Gordon；　a　Scotch　Benedictine　mo