In the late eighteenth century, several electrical devices were produced to generate spectacular lighting effects in the dark, such as the magic square, the sparkling bottle, and the electric snake, also known as the sparkling tube. These curious contrivances soon became very popular.

The electric snake consists of two glass tubes, one inside the other. On the exterior of the inner tube, a series of tinfoil patches are glued at short but equal intervals, forming a helical pattern. The outer tube is fitted with brass collars at both ends, which are in contact with the outermost patches of the helix.

The experimenter holds the device and moves it toward the conductor of a functioning electrostatic machine. A series of luminous discharges are generated between the tinfoil patches, forming a long helix of fire.