CHAPTEK III. 



FORESHADOWING OF THE ATOM OR INDIVISIBLE 

 UNIT OF ELECTRICITY. 



So far we have dealt with the fundamental laws of 

 electricity in' general. It is now time to begin to 

 consider the possibly atomic or molecular condition in 

 which it is associated with atoms of matter. 



Quoting again from the great Treatise of Clerk 

 Maxwell, 1st Edition (1873), we find on page 312, 

 in the chapter on electrolysis, the following sentence : 



" Suppose, however, that we leap over this 

 difficulty by simply asserting the fact of the 

 constant value of the molecular charge, and 

 that we call this constant molecular charge, for 

 convenience in description, one molecule of 

 electricity." . . . 



Thus some idea of the conception of the atomic 

 nature of electricity was long ago forced upon men of 

 genius by the facts of electrolysis and a knowledge of 

 Faraday's laws. But Maxwell went on, after a few 

 more paragraphs : 



"It is extremely improbable that when we 

 come to understand the true nature of electrolysis 

 we shall retain in any form the theory of molecular 



