3 

 i 



or 



ON THE NATURE OF THE ELECTRIC DIS- 

 CHARGE. THE ONE-FLUID AND THE TWO- 

 FLUID THEORIES. 



Francis E. Nipher. 



It is now nearly three years since the writer began a 

 search for some direct and tangible evidence which would 

 determine the direction of flow of the electric current in 

 a conductor. The phenomena revealed by the study of 

 radio-active bodies had shown that we have in the P 

 particles an agent which fills the requirements of an 

 ' ' electric fluid. ' ' The a particles are evidently incapable 

 of flowing through a conducting wire. But it did not 

 seem impossible that the a particles might be com- 

 posed of a nucleus and a similar fluid which might have 

 the properties of the positive fluid. 



In the present paper an attempt will be made to present 

 evidence with which all are familiar, and which has been 

 accumulating during many years, which seems important 

 in determining the nature of the current in a wire con- 



hi nTs\™ 



A JUtJ.l - 



CORRECTIONS. 

 Academy of Science of St. Louis, Vol. XIX. No. 1. 

 Page 3, line 12 from top, for Thompson read Thomson. 



"9 from bottom, for ironization read ionization. 

 "6 from bottom, for ironized read ionized. 

 " 6, bottom line read used. 



. «™~ uuuiu. xiie spaiK Knoo wlncii permitted 



the passage of the spark when the mirror was in the 

 proper position for observing the image of the spark 

 board was balanced by a similar knob on the opposite side 

 of the shaft. But in order that only one spark should 



Presented before The Academy of Science of St. Louis, Jan. 17, 1910. 

 1 Phil. Tr. R. Soc. 1834. 



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