44 VIEWS OF MAGNUS 



from the pores to the water, as well as water to the 

 brine, in virtue of their mutual attraction, till a 

 complete equilibrium is established. Further, since 

 the force which attracts the water to the brine is 

 exactly the same as that which attracts the brine to 

 the water, as much water as brine would pass 

 through the bladder, if both liquids could pass with 

 equal facility through the pores. Since, however, 

 this is not the case, unequal forces are required to 

 urge the two liquids through the pores ; or with 

 equal forces, unequal quantities of the two pass 

 through in equal times. There is consequently 

 added more of that which passes most easily, the 

 water to the brine, than of the latter to the water, 

 and the level of both liquids must change, if no 

 other force oppose this change."* 



Remarks According to this theory, brine and water exist 

 theory of in the pores of the bladder in a state of motion, 

 and the chemical affinity, which the particles of the 

 brine have for the particles of the pure water, and 

 conversely, which the particles of water have for 

 those of salt, is considered as the cause of this 

 motion. The unequal velocity, which makes more 

 water flow in a given time to the brine than brine 

 or salt to the pure water, is, according to MAGNUS, 

 determined by the unequal resistance which the 

 substance of the bladder opposes to the passage of 

 the two liquids. 



Now, however narrow the tubes may be, in which 

 * Poggendorff's Annales, x. p. 164. 



