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The Support of the Poor

To Peter Collinson Sir Philadelphia May 9th. 1753 I received your Favour of the 29th. August last and thank you for the kind and judicious remarks you have made on my little Piece. Whatever further occurs to you on the same subject, you will much oblige me in communicating it. I have often observed with…

Electricity, the Transit of Mercury, and a Northwest Passage

To Cadwallader Colden Dear Sir Philada. Feb. 28. 1753 I return you herewith Professor Kanster’s Remarks. As far as I am able to judge, the Translation is just, and your Answer a good one. I am pleas’d with the Omission of that part of a Paragraph relating to the German and Pensilvanian Electricians, and have…

Spouts and Whirlwinds

To John Perkins Dear Sir Philada. Feb. 4. 1753 I ought to have wrote to you long since, in Answer to yours of Oct. 16. concerning the Water Spout: But Business partly, and partly a Desire of procuring further Information by Inquiry among my Seafaring Acquaintance, induc’d me to postpone Writing from time to time,…

A Flexible Catheter

To John Franklin Dear Brother Philada. Dec. 8. 1752 Reflecting yesterday on your Desire to have a flexible Catheter, a Thought struck into my Mind how one might possibly be made: And lest you should not readily conceive it by any Description of mine, I went immediately to the Silversmith’s, and gave Directions for making…

The Kite Experiment

As frequent Mention is made in the News Papers from Europe, of the Success of the Philadelphia Experiment for drawing the Electric Fire from Clouds by Means of pointed Rods of Iron erected on high Buildings, &c. it may be agreeable to the Curious to be inform’d, that the same Experiment has succeeded in Philadelphia,…