1893.] the Electric and Lummiferous Medium. 455 



the potentials of the molecule and the plate. This is on the hypo- 

 thesis that the distance between the two ions of a molecule is very 

 small compared with the distance between two neighbouring mole- 

 cules. A view of this kind, if thoroughly established, would lead to 

 the ultimate averaging of atomic charges of all atoms that have been 

 in combination with each other, even if those charges had been 

 originally of different magnitudes. [The assignment of free electric 

 charges to vortex atoms tends markedly in the direction of insta- 

 bility ; though instability under certain circumstances is essential to 

 electric discharge, yet it must not be allowed to become dominant. 

 December 7, 1893.] 



The presence of vortex atoms, forming faults so to speak in the 

 asther, will clearly diminish its effective rotational elasticity ; and 

 thus it is to be expected that the specific inductive capacities of 

 material dielectrics should be greater than the inductive capacity of 

 a vacuum. The readiness with which electrolytic media break down 

 under electric stress may be connected with the extremely high values 

 of their inductive capacities, indicating very great yielding to even 

 a small electric force. 



The radiation of a body into the surrounding medium is wholly 

 electrical, and is due to the electric vibrations of the atomic charges ; 

 some of these types of vibration may correspond to the single atom 

 by itself, while others will be considerably affected by the presence 

 of the neighbouring atoms of the molecule. The most striking fact 

 to be explained is the total independence of temperature that is 

 exhibited by the periodic times corresponding to the various spectral 

 lines. The extreme smallness of an atom implies correspondingly 

 intense electrification, and therefore independence of the external 

 field. If it is assumed that the dimensions and configuration of the 

 atom are determined by the very intense actions between it and its 

 partners in the molecule, and are not sensibly affected by the com- 

 paratively feeble influence of the velocity of translation of the mole- 

 cule through the medium, this fact will be accounted for ; irregu- 

 larities can then only occur during an encounter with another mole- 

 cule. 



In the hydrodynamics of ordinary liquids, when the energy of an 

 isolated vortex ring is increased, the ring expands in radius, and 

 therefore moves onward more slowly. But in the case of an isolated 

 charged atom, an expansion in radius diminishes the potential 

 energy of the electric charge. These two agencies counteract each 

 other ; if the latter one is the greater, increase in energy will involve 

 increase in velocity, as would be required in the ordinary form of the 

 kinetic theory of gases. But the more natural supposition is, per- 

 haps, to consider a molecule as composed of atoms paired so that the 

 velocity of translation does not depend intrinsically on the amount 



