In reference to the views of Mr. Stodder, it is j there the force is required in its greatest dearee. 

 very questionable to my mind, whether any ab- : and being exerted from the centre of the «-fobe.' 

 solute centrifugal results flo transpire upon the the mobile envelope rises to its fullest extent as a 



fluid-interior and solid and aqueous and atmos- 

 pheric matters composing the earth and other 

 planets, daring their rotary motion and as a con- 

 sequence of this rotary action. Physicists gen- 

 erally, indeed altogether and without exception, 

 declare the Battening of tin- poles to depend mi 

 the centrifugal force imparted t" the solid mute- 

 rial of the globes by their rotation on their axes. 

 The flattening rather seems to me in be th ■ n 

 sull of the polarizing force which acted more 

 _ iticaUy from S>. to s.. (if I may allow niy- 

 sell to use these words.) than in other directions 

 during the condensation of matter into spheres 



mere phenomenon or resultant of the play of 

 molecular forces in a repulsive aggregate to main- 

 tain the present relation of the satellite to the 

 earth, and inasmuch as the polarizing, or rather 

 the attractive and repulsive forces must lie exert- 

 ed in straight lines, it follows that the chain of 

 molecules from the centre of the globe, to that 

 point under the moon, called the prime vertical 

 must lie connected with a corresponding chain 

 from tiie same central point to the antipode of 

 the prime vertical point, and I think the phe- 

 nomena of the tides are all the resoll of repulsive 

 influences exerted in this manner from the interi- 



ing atoms, in the globeforming or to the exterior of the globe, the primary ob- 



mt all directions toward a common ject of which is to prevent the moon from ap- 



centre of gravity in space, or rather toward proaching nearer to the earth than the bounds 



countless centres, but the a. t of pohu-iza- fixed by the laws of density governing the two 



tion long previously imparted to molecnli bodies— and also to prevent the earth from ap- 



exerted now on a cosmical scale, condensed mat- proaching the sun nearer than the bounds fixed 



ter more rapidly, continually and powerfully in by the laws of density governing their rela- 



the direction of the polar diameter of planets tiona. And it is the varying density of ail these 



than in their equatorial diaiueter.This is more thiin bodies in proportion to then- distances from each 

 probably the cause of the difference betwi en the 

 polar and equatorial diameters of the planets— 

 for the gravitation of mutter to the c litre of the 



globe i- much m ire predomineul thau ap- 



iiaiv.it centrifugal phenomena: and indeed no 

 centrifugal force can be imagined to be exerted 

 from tiie axis of the globe, whi a wr view plan- 

 et- a- independent spheres moving by their own 

 internal vital forces — 1 mean their aggregate mo- 

 lecular forces — through space, and independent ol 



any rotary motion forced upon them at tiie date 

 of their origin by external and projective impul- 

 Thia whole subject needs to be completely 

 aud candidly reviewed by physicists —and ulti- 

 mately. 1 doubt not. and I feel triumphant in the 

 belief that, a cosmical power of repulsion will be 

 discovered to act from tin- centre to the eircuni- 



other as they move through the different points 

 of their orbit.-, which governs the various period- 

 ical phenomena manifested so unmistakably on 

 the earth and so observable when the earth is in 

 perihelion and aphelion — and tiie moon in apogee 

 and perigee, and wheu tiie two bodies are pass- 

 ing through points at varying distances from 

 their central and controling body. If tin m,m 

 governs the earth in the development or exhibi- 

 tion of terrestrial forces in such a manner that 

 marked material changes are correspondingly 

 observed in the solar centre, (as the agitations 

 of its envelopes, creating openings called solar 

 >pots with periodical regularity of 5 years be- 

 tween maximum and minimum, in direct conjunc- 

 tion with periodical magnetic phenomena in the 

 earth.! should we not have strong reason to be- 



ference of the globe antagonistic to the polariz- ' lieve that the agitations of the aqueous envelop. 

 ing and condensing or* attractive force, and aflec- of the -lobe, following so constantly the move- 

 ting not only the motion and action of the fluid meuts and position of the m i in" relation to 



interior of the globe so as to produce earthquakes the earth, arose rather from a repulsive force 

 by pressure on, and rupture of.the crust; but also exerted from within tiie central ami controlling 



body 



of the aqueous envelope, bo as to produce the tides 

 and govern their action entirely, so thai in line. 



the tide- of the OCeail arc not tile iv-ult of lunar 



attraction of the water away from the solid sur- 

 hce of tin- planet, which is the present theorv, 

 but rather the result ol a repulsion ol the parti- 

 cles of water by a power exerted from tin- centre 

 of tie which tin- on is kepi, and for- 



ever to be kept, from falling to tin earth. The 



tide on the giol pposite the lunar tide, aim 



to arise from the -olid mass of the earth being 

 attracted away from the aqueous* ma--. - i thai 

 .: li sap of wati r i- lefl behind, i- ouij the i 

 ■ •I a more feeiiic repulsion than that exerted on 

 ide of the earth beneath the moon, because 



sphere, than from attractions exerted by a 



w ithout and lieyond it '.' 



The idea of centrifugal force being the came of 

 earthquakes, advanced by Mr. Stodder in his pa- 

 per on "The changes of the earth'- surface" read 

 before the Boston Society of Natural History 

 some year- since and introduced again at the 1st 

 January meeting of this year, I think unsound. 

 inasmuch as a multitude of other phenomena can- 

 not lie embraced within it> application, which 

 harmonize with the "theoryof repulsion," Bel 

 forth in my Cosmography. The facts published 

 by M. Perry relative to the influence of the 



nioi u the fluid interior of the earth, ure very 



remarkable, and I have do doubt from my 



