MYSTERIES OF LIFE AND MIND 



charge reduced, and hence the release of a corre- 

 sponding number of negative charges. The wave 

 is started. 



All this, it should be understood, is as yet simply 

 a working hypothesis. Whether it turn out to be 

 true depends on how well it agrees with such facts 

 as may come to light later. But on the basis of 

 such material as exists, Professor Mathews has 

 reached an extremely elaborate and ingenious 

 theory. He found that different quantities of dif- 

 ferent solutions were required to produce the same 

 effect. Comparing his figures, Dr. Mathews found 

 here, as Dr. Loeb had found in previous work, an 

 apparent influence of the valences. Some of the 

 doubly charged atoms appeared to produce twice 

 the effect of the singly charged, and so with three 

 and four charges. 



Yet this simple relation would not explain all. 

 The single and double and triple charged ions va- 

 ried among themselves. Among the salt-forming 

 elements there seemed to be a curious relationship 

 with their atomic weights. Bromine atoms were 

 more effective than the chlorine atoms, iodine than 

 the bromine. But fluorine, the lightest of the 

 group, was the most active of all. 



Professor Mathews has essayed to account for 

 these differences by an appeal to the very newest 

 theories of electricity. Taking a hint from Lar- 



221 



