MATTER AND ITS FORCE. 7 



which forces being unknown, philosophers have as yet explored 

 nature in vain." 



That they may he unknown no longer, we will at once 

 proceed to explain them. 



A great deal has heen said lately about matter and motion, 

 but the latter is as yet only known to the most daring 

 speculators as a senseless dance of the atoms; a dance so 

 omnipresent and never ending, that they imagine it never had a 

 beginning, and is as unlikely ever to have an end. On shifting 

 sands like this the accepted theory of physics is based, 

 forgetting that it is quite contrary to the working of any law of 

 nature with which we are acquainted. 



We have said all matter is formed of atoms. But every 

 atom is also we say a magnet having polarity. That is, each 

 atom has two poles similar to a compass needle, which may be 

 designated north and south. 



The law of atoms is observed to be, that like attracts like ; 

 but by the law of magnets, it is seen that like poles repel, while 

 unlike poles attract. ATOMAGNETISM THEN is THE COMBINATION 



OF THESE NATURAL LAWS, RESULTING IN A UNIVERSAL LAW OP 

 ATTRACTION OF LIKE ATOMS AND REPULSION OF LIKE POLES. In 



order to make this principle clear, we will give a few examples. 

 A tree, for instance, in growing does not attract sand and 

 clay and metal, and form a branch of clay or another of metal, 

 but it attracts only material similar to itself. If a smith in 

 casting a bar of iron tried to combine clay or coal ashes with it, 

 he could not succeed, or else there would bo no strength in the 

 bar. Again we cannot attract the poles of a magnetic compass 

 with a wooden stick, or a piece of coal, or indeed anything not 

 in the nature of iron or steel. 



