Jesse Ramsden�s glass plate electrostatic machine, c 1760s.

UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 04: Engraving made in the late 19th century of two men operating a machine with instrument maker Jesse Ramsden�s (1735-1800) modification of a vertical glass disc rather than a cylinder. This machine�s basic components were: a drive mechanism, a rotating part which rubbed against cushions causing friction which produced static electricity, and a vessel to collect the charge produced. Some early uses of electricity were medical; it was used to treat paralysis and muscle spasms, and to control heart rates. Illustration from �Electricity and Magnetism� by Amedee Guillemin (1826-1893), published in London in 1891. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)