234 EXPERIMENTS OF MAYER AND BARLOW. 



There is, therefore, in the heavenly bodies vary- 

 ing velocity with compensating axial and orbital 

 movements. 



The same laws of magnetic force may be as- 

 sumed to govern the revolution of the solar system 

 in its vast orbit around some central sun, "occu- 

 pying twenty-six thousand years, as govern the 

 revolution of our earth around its sun. The mar- 

 vellous magnetic variations and swayings, which 

 seem at present beyond the power of man's cal- 

 culation and comprehension, may perhaps some 

 day be found to coincide with the magnetic laws 

 of the earth's translation ; with the difference in 

 the scale of twenty-six thousand years to one. 



All terrestrial matter at rest is under the influ- 

 ence of terrestrial currents. When an over- 

 powering diamagnetic current is induced around 

 distinct molecular groupings, or organisms, they 

 are freed from the earth's directive force, and 

 become electro-magnets. 



To render the needle of a lantern galvanome- 

 ter more sensitive, Professor Mayer neutralized 

 the earth's directive action on it, by means of 

 two large bar-magnets. 1 



Professor Barlow with a battery current around 

 an artificial globe overpowered the terrestrial cur- 

 rents. 2 



" Ampere constructed a static apparatus, that 



1 A. M. Mayer's The Earth a Great Magnet, p. 266. 



2 Experiment described, p. 99, Fig. 22, ante. 



