ETHEREAL ENVELOPE. 135 



elimination, and polarization, it encourages, if possible, even 

 more than a suspicion, that the earth and moon are but con- 

 densed and oppositely polarized points in one common mass 

 of ethereal, magnetoid, or " odic" substance. Such an ethereal 

 mass, considered ,as the common calorific, photic, electric, odic, 

 nervoid, and vital sphere or atmosphere of the earth and moon, 

 would seem to be a necessary existence, according to princi- 

 ples involved in the discoveries of Reichenbach ; while, on the 

 other hand, and in a still more emphatic sense, the earth and 

 moon in their present state, may be supposed to consist of 

 precipitated particles originally held in solution in their now 

 enveloping ethereal and imponderable menstruum.* 



This field or realm of segregated ether supporting these 

 now condensed points, may, in its present state, be considered 

 as an ultimate refinement of the primeval nebulous mass from 

 which our world and its satellite had their common origin. 

 Though its ultimate attenuations, intercommingling with those 

 of kindred bodies (yet still preserving their identity) may be 

 supposed to extend indefinitely into space, the relatively dense, 



* It is well known that particular positions of the moon in respect to the earth, are 

 accompanied with marked effects upon somnambulists, cataleptics, and persons dis- 

 posed to insanity ; and it has from time immemorial been 'bdieced that certain lunar 

 positions have also a decided influence upon the vegetable and animal kingdoms. 

 During eclipses of the sun, when the moon has been directly between that luminary 

 and the earth, hungry animals have been observed to suddenly cease eating, and become 

 apparently sad and dejected ; and when eclipses have been total, birds have sometimes 

 been known to fall dead from their perches. Now, neither of these effects can be sup- 

 posed to result from any modification of the force of gravitation as owing to the rela- 

 tive positions in such cases, of the earth, moon, and sun. But if we suppose, as is sup- 

 posed above, that the earth and moon are enveloped in a common " odic" sphere of a 

 nervoid and semi-vital character, and that this changes in its polar relations and con- 

 sequent qualities of influence upon living organisms, with every change of relative 

 position of the earth, moon, and sun, we have an easy solution of the phenomena in 

 question. The supposition of such a change of influence would seem to be counte- 

 nanced by the results of Reichenbach's experiment with the revolving magnet, before 

 Bpoken of. 



