64 NOMOS. 



current which circulates in a direction which is 

 transverse to the line connecting the two ends of 

 the helix. It has naturally given rise to this idea, 

 also, because it is possible to account for the posses- 

 sion of these powers by the simple and known reac- 

 tion of electrical currents, if it be assumed that a 

 similar current passes in the same direction around 

 every magnet. When the marked pole of the 

 magnet is held to the end of the helix which points 

 to the south, the direction of the current around the 

 end of the helix and around the pole of the magnet, 

 according to the hypothesis, is similar; and hence 

 attraction. When, on the other hand, the unmarked 

 pole of the magnet is held to the end of the helix 

 which points to the south, the currents in the two 

 are in contrary directions, and for this reason they 

 ought to recede from each other. And so also 

 with the other poles. The meridional movement of 

 the helix is also to be accounted for on the same 

 principle, as we shall see presently; but, without 

 proving this, we have seen enough to be able to 

 assume, with some degree of probability, that a 

 magnet is surrounded by electrical currents which 

 pass in the direction which is transverse to the line 

 connecting the two poles. And this is all we want 

 to assume before proceeding to speak of the move- 

 ment which has now to be considered namely, 

 rotation. 



By a most ingenious course of reasoning, Dr. Fa- 

 raday was led to expect that a magnet would revolve 



