1. A full survey of the early history of electrostatics cannot be attempted here; a quick review may be obtained from Whittaker or Roller.3 For source material of all periods, Mottelay4 is invaluable. For ancient times, Martin5 is exhaustive; for the eighteenth century, Cohen6 is valuable. Benjamin7 has written a good general history.
2. “A History of the Theories of the Aether and Electricity,” Chapters I and II.;Whittaker,1951
3. The Prenatal History of Electrical Science
4. “Bibliographical History of Electricity and Magnetism.”;Fleury Mottelay,1922