WHAT IS LIFE? 31 



whole mass of a solid body or of a portion of liquid is held 

 together. 



"In solids the force of cohesion is so great that the par- 

 ticles are held in a rigid form. In liquids it is relatively 

 so weak that the particles may slide about over one an- 

 other, and in a gas or vapor there is no cohesion. Now 

 when a solid is heated its particles are set into extraordin- 

 ary vibration and if the heating is carried to a sufficient 

 degree, the force of their cohesion will be so far weakened 

 that they begin to slide over one another and the solid be- 

 comes a liquid. If the heating is carried still further, the 

 particles will be so shaken that they lose their cohesive 

 grip entirely, and the liquid expands into a vapor. 



"As you sit in front of your winter fire and see the black 

 coal or hard wood molecularly shaken asunder in the 

 jaws of heat until part of it ascends in gases and part falls 

 in ashes while the agitation sets up new waves of heat in 

 the surrounding air and ether, you may if you will, be- 

 come a philosopher and contribute your own little share 

 to the thinking which drives the world." 



This is a very good description of heat and particularly 

 of the ether vibrations we receive from the sun. Mr. 

 Serviss is of the same opinion as myself, that if we pos- 

 sessed organs of sensation suitable to perceive, we would 

 be able to understand very many other effects chemical 

 and otherwise, which the waves of ether 1 from the sun 

 produce on matter. No doubt the cell is in possession of 

 the different organs of sensation suitable to perceive the 

 effects that the solar heat or ether waves have on matter 

 and is thereby able to direct the atoms to affect the large 

 molecules in which he is able to store his building mate- 

 rial and energy. 



It is a hard and tedious work to forge and mold the 

 molecules of the raw material of earth, air and water into 



