56 3Ir. WiUiam Crookes [Feb. 18, 



or electro-positive character of each element ; those on the retreating 

 half of the swing being positive, and those on the approaching half 

 negative. In short, we are led to suspect that this oscillating power 

 must be closely connected with the imponderable matter, essence, or 

 source of energy we call electricity. 



Let us now return to the period just preceding the birth of the 

 first element. Before that time matter as it now is manifested did 

 not exist. We can no more conceive of matter without energy than 

 of energy without matter ; indeed from one point of view the two are 

 convertible terms. Let us assume that simultaneously with the 

 creation of atoms all those attributes which enable us to discriminate 

 one form of matter from another, start into being endowed with 

 energy. 



Our pendulum begins its swing from the electro-positive side ; 

 lithium, next to hydrogen in the simplicity of its atomic weight, 

 is now formed, followed by glucinum. boron, and carbon. Each 

 element, at the moment of birth, takes up definite quantities of 

 electricity, and on these quantities its atomicity depends.* Thus 

 are fixed the types of the monatomic, diatomic, triatomic, and 

 tetratomic elements. 



It has been pointed out by Dr. Carnelley that " those elements 

 belonging to the even series of the periodic classification are always 

 paramagnetic, whereas the elements belonging to the odd series are 

 always diamagnetic." Now in our curve the even series to the left, 

 so far as has been ascertained, are paramagnetic, whilst, with a few 

 exceptions, all to the right are diamagnetic. The strongly magnetic 

 grouj^, iron, manganese, nickel, and cobalt, lie close together on the 

 projDer side. But the interperiodic groups, of which palladium and 

 platinum are respectively examples, are supposed to be feebly mag- 

 netic. If this can be verified they form exceptions which have yet to 

 be explained. Oxygen, which weight for weight is even more 

 strongly magnetic than iron, lies near the beginning of the curve, 

 whilst at the opposite end come the powerfully diamagnetic metals, 

 bismuth and thallium. 



We come now to the return or negative part of the swing ; 

 nitrogen api3ears and shows instructively how position governs the 

 mean dominant atomicity. Nitrogen occupies a position immediately ^ 



* " Nature presents ns with a single definite quantity of electricity. . . . 

 For each chemical bond which is ruptured within an electrolyte a certain 

 quantity of electricity traverses the electrolyte, which is the same in all cases." 

 — G. Johnstone Stoney, " On the Physical Units of Nature." — British Associa- 

 tion Meeting, 1874, Section A. Phil. Mag., May, 1881. 



" The same definite quantity of either positive or negative electricity moves 

 always with each univalent ion, or with every unit of affinity of a multivalent 

 ion."— Helmholtz, Faraday Lecture, 1881. 



"Every monad atom lias associated with it a certain definite quantity of 

 electricity ; every dyad has twice this quantity associated with it ; every triad 

 three times as much, and so on." — O. Lodge, "On Electrolysis," British Associa- 

 tion Beport. 18S5. 



