Otto von Guericke (1602-1686) constructed the first electrical machine with a revolving ball of sulphur (see Electrical Machine), and noticed that light objects were repelled after being attracted by excited electrics.
Jean Theophile Desaguliers (1683-1744) announced soon after that electrics were non-conductors, and conductors were nonelectrics.
It is to du Fay also that we owe the abolition of the distinction between electrics and non-electrics.
A Leyden jar was charged at the key, and by the electric fire thus obtained spirits were inflamed, and many other experiments performed which had been formerly made by excited electrics.
I cannot stress this enough, getting the electrics wet can be very, very costly!
