284 Mr. Faraday's Experimental Researches in Electricity. 



the consequences which would flow from it if true; especially 

 in those which would not be consistent with the theory of ac- 

 tion at a distance. Such a consequence seemed to me to pre- 

 sent itself in the direction in which inductive action could be 

 exerted. If in straight lines only, though not perhaps decisive, 

 it would be against my view ; if in curved lines also, that would 

 be a natural result of the action of contiguous particles, but I 

 think utterly incompatible with action at a distance, as assumed 

 by the received theories, which, according to every fact and 

 analogy we are acquainted with, is always in straight lines. 



1167. Again, if induction be an action of contiguous par- 

 ticles, and also the first step in the process of electrolyzation 

 (lie^, 949.), there seemed reason to expect some particular 

 relation of it to the different kinds of matter through which it 

 would be exerted, or something equivalent to a specific elec- 

 tric induction for different bodies, which, if it existed, would 

 unequivocally prove the dependence of induction on the par- 

 ticles; and though this, in the theory of Poisson and others, 

 has never been supposed to be the case, I was soon led to 

 doubt the received opinion, and have taken great pains in sub- 

 jecting this matter to close experimental examination. 



1 168. Another ever-present question on my mind has been, 

 whether electricity has an actual and independent existence 

 as a fluid or fluids, or was a mere power of matter, like what 

 we conceive of the attraction of gravitation. If determined 

 either way it would be an enormous advance in our knowledge; 

 and as having the most direct and influential bearing on my 

 notions, I have always sought for experiments which would in 

 any way tend to elucidate that great question. It was in at- 

 tempts to prove the existence of electricity separate from mat- 

 ter, by giving an independent charge of either positive or ne- 

 gative povi'er to some substance, and the utter failure of all 

 such attempts, whatever substance was used or whatever 

 means of exciting or evolving electricity were employed, that 

 first drove me to look upon induction as an action of the par- 

 ticles of matter, each having both forces developed in it in ex- 

 actly equal amount. It is this circumstance, in connexion 

 with others, which makes me desirous of placing the remarks 

 on absolute charge first, in the order of proof and argument, 

 which I am about to adduce in favour of my view, that elec- 

 tric induction is an action of the contiguous particles of the 

 insulating medium or di-elcctric. 



5[ ii. On the absolute charge of matter, 



1169. Can matter, either conducting or non-conducting, 



