THE HYDROGEN ION 125 



(1) Because of its velocity, the /? ray accelerates the rate of 

 migration of gaseous ions in a similar way to ultra-violet light 

 of extremely short wave-length (below 2000 Angstrom units), i.e. 

 the ionised gas becomes an electrical conductor. 



(2) On account of its unit negative charge, it has a disturbing 

 effect on all systems in electrical equilibrium through which it 

 passes. 



Rutherford has recently shown that a particles (positively 

 charged atoms of helium, atomic weight =4) may cause trivalent 

 nitrogen (14) to disintegrate with the formation of monovalent 

 hydrogen (1). He considers that the hydrogen ion is nothing 

 more or less than a unit positive charge. Other atoms are spheres, 

 composed as we have seen of a positive core (probably an atom 

 of hydrogen) surrounded by negative electrons. The negative 

 electric charge is evenly distributed over the surface. 



The modern tendency is thus to postulate the sameness of all 

 elementary matter. What we have been accustomed to look 

 upon as elements may merely be stages in the disintegration of 

 more complex substances into their positive and negative units. 

 When the disintegration takes place explosively and continuously 

 the substance is considered as radioactive. 



In the preceding portion of this chapter, ultra-violet rays, 

 kathode rays, X-rays and the a, /?, and y rays of radioactive matter 

 have been mentioned as types of radiation. These various 

 radiations differ from one another in their effects on living matter 

 in degree rather than in kind. In general, the lower the velocity 

 of the ray, the greater its physiological action, provided always 

 that its velocity is sufficiently great to produce any physiological 

 effect. (A high velocity bullet cuts a clean hole in a piece of 

 glass, while a spent bullet shatters the glass). The effect seems to 

 depend more on the velocity of the ray than on its nature, e.g. 

 a rays are material while the others are not, yet similar actions 

 may be produced under proper conditions (Zwaardemaker's 

 expts., I.e.). (A soft candle may be fired through a wooden 

 target, cutting a hole just as if it were a hard-nosed bullet). The 

 physiological effect of any ray is proportional to its power to ionise 

 air. /? rays have 60 times the ionising power of y rays, and 

 experiment has shown that y rays require to operate for 60 mins. 

 on living matter to have the same effect as one minute's exposure 

 to /? rays. That is, by varying the length of exposure, similar 

 results may be obtained from radiations having different ionising 

 powers. If rays are classed according to their power to ionise 



