Energy and Ether. 1039 



cules when combination takes place. When heat disappears in chemical 

 action it must be that it is converted into some sort of work which does 

 not increase temperature. In heating solid bodies it was pointed out at 

 page 401, that part of the heat is used up in giving new positions to 

 the molecules of the solid, and so does not appear as temperature. In 

 the case of gases, heat disappears in giving greater velocities to the 

 molecules of the gas; and according to Meyer (p. 167), when they 

 lose this motion, heat results. If this is correct, and it appears to be, 

 then the movements of the molecules of the gas do not constitute heat. 

 If they did there would be no increase of heat when these motions are 

 arrested. The fact appears to be that when the molecules of a body 

 are dispersed into a gaseous form by a force, there is a division of the 

 effects of the force just as there is when a solid body is heated ; that is 

 a part of the energy is manifested in an increase of temperature and a 

 part in this violent oscillation of the molecules spoken of as their ve- 

 locities. What kind of motion is it then that gives the phenomena of 

 temperature? It must be the motion of the surrounding and inter- 

 molecular ether that constitutes temperature both in the solid body and 

 the gas. When a body is spoken of as having such a temperature, it 

 is the same as saying that its molecules which are in a state of vibra- 

 tion are constantly losing a part of that motion which is communicated 

 to the adjacent ether, by the undulation of which it is radiated off as 

 temperature. That is, it does not become temperature till it becomes 

 the motion of ether instead of that of the ponderable molecules. 



To sum up, then, in regard to the ether, we recognize it as the connect- 

 ive medium between separated ponderable bodies, as the vehicle of the 

 influences that pass from one body to another, and as the real and essen- 

 tial agent both immediate and remote, in the greater part if not all the 

 motions of the ponderable bodies. It is the active agent in the produc- 

 tion of the phenomena of gravitation, electricity, magnetism, chemism, 

 heat, light, sound, nerve action, vitality, and mentality. It is the uni- 

 versal agent of Energy, and the medium in all motion and phenomena. 

 It may with propriety be called the Soul of Things. 



CHAPTER LXXXVIL 



FORCE AND FORM. 



It was pointed out in last chapter that the motion of ponderable mat- 

 ter is not heat or temperature, but that this sort of motion (tempera- 

 ture ) , appears when that of the ponderable body ends. A molecule when 

 it is considered by itself is a mass as truly as a planet is. The motion 

 of a planet through empty space is not heat, and does not give rise to 



