NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 149 



NOTES ON CALORIFIC PHENOMENA. 



The following is an abstract of a paper read before the Manchester 

 Philosophical Society by Mr. J. C. Dyer : 



The author states that the essences of matter, their number and 

 their forms, are only known to us by their observed properties and 

 mutations ; that conflicting theories on physics arise from the various 

 interpretations given to the same phenomena ; and if unable to recon- 

 cile such differences, further inquiry, with that view, may not be im- 

 proper, whilst the laws of nature rest on debatable grounds. That 

 practically matter, in its aggregate, is found to consist of two sorts 

 or classes, the "ponderable" and the "imponderable," grav- 

 ity and elasticity serving to distinguish their respective inherent 

 properties. That as no tests of weight or measure can apply 

 to the latter, its mutations and action on other bodies are the sole 

 means we have of forming any judgment concerning its agency 

 in the laboratory of nature. That the calorific element, or heat, is 

 assumed to be the one " sole imponderable element which pervades 

 matter and space throughout the universe," and it constitutes the 

 elastic forces reacting upon and balancing the gravitating forces in 

 all other bodies. This elemental state of heat must be taken as 

 distinct from its other three states of sensible, radiating, and specific 

 heat, commonly recognized. That elemental heat is acted upon by 

 mechanical and chemical forces, and the changes which it undergoes 

 from the one to the other conditions of heat give rise to at- 

 mospherical phenomena, known as electrical, magnetic, and optical, 

 as also to the entire range of meteorological changes, as set forth in 

 the paper. That, by the mechanical forces of the earth's motion 

 in its orbit and diurnal rotation acting upon the elemental medium, 

 its equilibrium is disturbed, and motions generated which afford ra- 

 tional explanations of the luminous and ordinary electrical and mag- 

 netical conditions of the atmosphere, as indicated by their respective 

 meteors. That, by the action of chemical forces, great mutations of 

 heat are continually going on ; for example, the heat which on a vast 

 scale abounds in vapor is given out as clouds are formed, and ac- 

 counts for the positive and negative electricity, and also, when 

 redundant, for lightning from thunder-clouds. As much heat is 

 evolved above the clouds, where cold prevails, it must become ele- 

 mental or neutral there, and justifies the inference that it is identical 

 with the electric fluid, as above said. That electricity and magnet- 

 ism are but diverse actions of one element, has been proved, and 

 their action on matter proves their materiality. The mechanical and 

 chemical action of light proves its materiality also ; and that light and 

 heat are identical has been clearly established. The plurality of 

 imponderable elements is, therefore, disproved by the fact that muta- 

 tions of the one element fully account for all of the phenomena 

 attributed to several. The gravitating and elastic properties of 

 matter constitute their statical and moving forces, forever balancing 

 each other. The former of these forces would consolidate the mate- 

 rial universe " with lightning speed," but for the reaction of the 1 atter 

 force. There is no reason why the force of gravity should be, meas- 

 ured bv the established laws of falling bodies, except that exy eriment 

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