58 WHAT IS LIFE ? 



match or a piece of wood over an argand chimney, 

 although it is a considerable distance from the flame. 

 Under these conditions both the steam and the free Ether 

 are invisible, but it is easy to make these visible and to 

 sift out the free Ether from the steam. 1 - It is not only 

 possible to see the free Ether in air, but also in water. 2 



Now this diagram shows the fundamental reactions 

 in Avhat is called inorganic matter, that is, matter which 

 is non-cellular. It is a simple diagram, which shows 

 all but one inconstant phase. Not all molecules alter 

 to the crystalline when they become solid.* There is 

 no rigid line. The change of state from the liquid to 

 the gaseous can be seen by the microscope, more, even 

 seen by the naked eye. 3 During the period figure B 

 expands to figure C, that is, when the liquid water mole- 

 cules expand to gaseous water molecules, the absorption 

 of Ether can be shown by experiment. 4 Everyone 

 knows that if we have a measure of spherical seeds, and 

 we carefully shake that measure, the seeds pack them- 

 selves closer together they occupy a smaller volume. 

 Now in the singing water-hammer the water molecules 

 can be packed together in the same manner as the seeds 

 in mass. When this is done the cohesion is such that 

 the liquid gives all the effects of a rigid body, and the 

 water molecules refuse to obey the law of gravitation. 

 The loose condition of water molecules can be seen also. 5 



The diagram must not be regarded as rigid, the size 

 (i.e. the temperature) of both gaseous and vaporous 



i See " What is Heat ? " pp. 197, 252. 2 idem, p< 261. 



s Idem, p 287. * x^em, p. 289. 5 Idem, p. 323. 



* See " Proceedings of the Royal Institution of Great Britain," 

 vol. xiv., No. 88, 1895, p. 397, on Scientific Uses of Liquid Air, by 

 Prof. Dewar, F.R.S. 



