88 ROTATION OF PLANETS EXCITES CURRENTS. 



ether, which pervades infinite space. The axial ro- 

 tations produce continuous electric currents about 

 every planet and molecule ; and, modified and com- 

 bined, these produce all the phenomena of molec- 

 ular movements and of Universal Gravitation. 



As before stated, the vibrations of the electric 

 ether, excited by all the stellar suns, are trans- 

 mitted through the earth's atmosphere sufficiently 

 to act on the retina of the eye as starlight, though 

 too feeble to act on the nerves of feeling as heat, 

 or on the tympanum of the ear as sound. 



The Telephone transmits synchronous vibra- 

 tions through the electric and atmospheric ethers. 

 The vibrations of the air, excited by the human 

 voice, act on the metallic disc of the Phonograph, 

 causing a pointed wire to indent a sheet of tin-foil. 

 The same pointed wire may be made to act as a 

 pawl and rotate a ratchet wheel, which will turn a 

 little balance wheel with surprising rapidity ; as 

 stated by Mr. Edison. 



A piston, like the disc of a phonograph, is 

 acted upon by the atmospheric vibrations (excited 

 by the planetary force transmitted through the all- 

 pervading ether), with a force not only sufficient 

 to indent tin-foil, but equivalent to a continuous 

 pressure of fifteen pounds on each square inch 

 on both sides of the piston; which counterbal- 

 ance each other, and produce no movement, until 

 the vibrations, impinging against one side of the 

 piston, are neutralized, or counteracted. 



