"And George he says that this here frictional electricity is the only kind that'll cure pain.

Do you understand about frictional electricity, sir?

Hitherto the only electricity known was that developed by friction or rubbing, which was therefore termed frictional electricity.

Other methods of telegraphing in which frictional electricity was employed were also tried, some of which are described in the history on the telegraph.

And George often he told me about the wonderful things he learned there, and among others he was fond of explaining to me about frictional electricity.

In 1737 Du Fay and Hauksbee independently discovered what they believed to be two kinds of frictional electricity; one generated from rubbing glass, the other from rubbing resin.

'Why,' says I, 'the whole thing is just one of them unpleasant misunderstandings'; and then I started to explain to him about the Huxley Institute theory of frictional electricity and the aurora borealis.

Somewhat important to note, it was not until many years after the discovery of the voltaic pile that the sameness of annual and frictional electricity with voltaic electricity was clearly recognized and demonstrated.

Then, pulling the bedclothes up under his chin and closing his eyes wearily, he said: "Curse the day, say I, when George Watkins first went to the Huxley Institute and heard about frictional electricity."

And so, sir, one night, just to kill the time till he'd quit and go, I begun to tell them what George Watkins said to me about the Huxley Institute and frictional electricity being a sure cure for pain.

Franklin's important demonstration of the sameness of frictional electricity and lightning doubtless added zest to the efforts of the many experimenters in this field in the last half of the 18th century, to advance the progress of the science.

"And William Jones, a-winking at Bella Dougherty, as much as to say, sir, that he'd be having the laugh on me, said he had a pain that minute in his head from neuralgia and he'd bet me a quarter no frictional electricity would drive it out.