ELECTRICITY; WHAT IT IS, AND WHAT MAY BE EXPECTED OF IT.[1]

[Footnote 1: A paper read before the Engineers' Society of
Western Pennsylvania, Nov. 15, 1881.]

By JACOB REESE

In the consideration of this subject it is not my purpose to review
the steps of discovery and development of electrical phenomena, but
the object of this paper is an effort to explain what electricity is;
and having done this, to deduce some reasonable conclusions as to what
may be expected of it. And while I am profoundly sensible of the
importance of the subject, and the difficulties attending its
consideration, still with humble boldness I present this paper and ask
for it a serious and careful consideration, hoping that the discussion
and investigation resulting therefrom may add to our knowledge of
physical science.

It is now a well established fact that matter, _per se_, is inert, and
that its energy is derived from the physical forces; therefore all
chemical and physical phenomena observed in the universe are caused by
and due to the operations of the physical forces, and matter, of
whatever state or condition it may be in, is but the vehicle through
or by which the physical forces operate to produce the phenomena.

There are but two physical forces, i.e., the force of attraction and
the force of caloric. The force of attraction is inherent in the
matter, and tends to draw the particles together and hold them in a
state of rest. The force of caloric accompanies the matter and tends
to push the particles outward into a state of activity.

The force of attraction being inherent, it abides in the matter
continuously and can neither be increased nor diminished; it, however,
is present in different elementary bodies in different degrees, and in
compound bodies relative to the elements of which they are composed.

The force of caloric is mobile, and is capable of moving from one
portion of matter to another; yet under certain conditions a portion
of caloric is occluded in the matter by the force of attraction. That
portion of caloric which is occluded (known by the misnomer, latent
heat) I shall call _static caloric_, and that portion which is in
motion, _dynamic caloric_.

The force of attraction, as I have said, tends to draw the particles
of matter together and hold them in a state of rest; but as this force
is inherent, the degree of power thus exerted is in an inverse ratio
to the distance of the particles from each other.