54 Vital Physics. 



from lack of accumulation of repellent power in itself to- 

 wards the sun, and hence becomes slower in its axoidal 

 motion. Venus is better, because it has greater volume. 

 Mars falls short again, for as the distance increases, and the 

 repellent power does not lose acceleration in equal ratio 

 with the attractive for equal distances, the further from the 

 sun with equal masses, and the greater ought to be the 

 axoidal motion till the mean distance of our planetary system 

 is passed ; but the loss by volume accounts for this, whilst it 

 explains the increase of axoidal motion in Jupiter, whose 

 volume is so great, and the slight diminution in Saturn, 

 with his decreasing volume though increasing distance. 



After having so far discussed the subject of an active 

 repellent and attractive force as bearing upon the planetary 

 motions, the following propositions or assumptions will 

 be given, with the object of placing the laws governing 

 matter generally, and that of the planetary bodies spe- 

 cially, upon a more comprehensive basis, and in a form 

 more capable of adaptation to the many conditions in 

 which matter is found in the organic and inorganic worlds 

 respectively. 



1. That there are three entities, two imponderable and one 

 ponderable, occupying and building up, as it were, all space. 



2. That the two imponderables are fluids, which have 

 equal extension throughout the universe, and interpenetrate 

 each other, but are of unequal acceleration. 



3. One fluid is the attractive, and is of constant and 

 invariable acceleration, and is always inversely to the square 

 of the distance, as far as is known. 



4. That the other imponderable is repulsion, and of greater 

 acceleration than that of attraction, but is variable ; the 

 acceleration is greater as it reaches the middle of our 



