186 THE WORLD-ENERGY 



mass from a predominantly extensive to a predominantly 

 intensive phase. 



The same laws, then, must hold in chemistry as in 

 physics. And it is a noteworthy fact that the latest 

 researches in chemical science tend to verify this con- 

 clusion also. Nay, at least one work Berthelot's re- 

 markable and extended treatise, entitled, " Essai de 

 Mecanique Chimique" is devoted to the presentation 

 of the evidences tending to establish the identity of 

 chemical forces with the other natural forces.* 



But the general action of these phases of energy 

 cannot fail to develop specialized, local strains within 

 the mass of matter thus undergoing reduction in spacial 

 extent, on the one hand, and differentiation of quali- 

 tative content on the other. And it is evident that 

 the investigation of these specialized local strains must 

 result in the development of a new branch or branches 

 of science. 



Historically, indeed, such investigation has resulted 

 in the development of two distinct branches of purely 

 physical science; the one being chemistry itself, the 

 other being electricity. And it is especially worthy of 

 notice that both the phases of energy, whose special modes 

 are traced in these two sciences, are most intimately 

 related to the still more complex modes of energy mani- 

 fested in life. 



It is to a brief consideration of the central charac- 

 teristics of electricity that we have now to turn. 



*In his conclusion he says: "Ainsi, les Energies chimiques se trouvent 

 nettement caract6ris<5es et raises en opposition avec les autres Energies natu- 

 relles: les unes et les autres obt-issent 6galemeut aux lois de la me'canique 

 rationelle." II., 754. 



