§ 20 OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 43 1 



(6) There being nothing inconsistent with any of the 

 phenomena known to Chemistry or Physics in the suppo- 

 sition that the ultimate particles of matter, of whatsoever 

 sort, have fundamentally the same characteristics, may it 

 not be that the same causes which, under certain condi- 

 tions, render the particles of steel and other substances per- 

 manently magnetic, belong in reality to the elementary 

 atoms of which all bodies are composed, like the polarities 

 assigned to them in electrol3'sis, whether the body as a 

 w^hole exhibits magnetic or diamagnetic properties? If 

 this should be so, then w^e have found the physical basis 

 for a Theory of Cohesion. 



