THOUGHTS ON NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 41 



corpuscles disintegrate, and shoot forth from the 

 atom minute portions of matter at enormous speed. 



Here we approach the discovery of what appears 

 to be a great truth of far-reaching and immense 

 importance. 



The things that give its character to Radium are 

 the speed, weight, and movements of its atoms, 

 corpuscles, and granules. 



This is the great truth, and appears to be the key 

 to the Riddle of the Universe viz., that the *speed 

 and weight of the granules, corpuscles, atoms, and 

 molecules, and the peculiarities of movement result- 

 ing from that speed and weight, give to substances 

 their distinguishing characteristics, and account for 

 all natural phenomena. 



[One of the most fundamental of the facts con- 

 cerning the tdissociation of matter is " the emission 

 into space, from bodies undergoing dissociation, of 

 ^immaterial particles animated by a speed capable 

 of equalling and even of often exceeding a third of 

 the speed of light. That speed is immensely superior 

 to any we can produce by the aid of the known 

 forces at our disposal. This is a point which must 

 be steadily kept in mind from the first. A few 

 figures will suffice to make this difference evident. 



A very simple calculation shows, in fact, that to 



* Speed, and movement, may take many forms ; and for weight 

 you may read mass. 



"f Dr. Gustave Le Eon's Evolution of Matter. My thanks are 

 tendered to Dr. Le Bon for his able assistance ; and to others from 

 whom I quote. 



+ Material, please. See Dr. Le Bon on the Ether, page 50 of 

 this book. 



