58 Vital Physics. 



Put it in another form. Gold melts at a very high 

 temperature, and is ductile and malleable ; iron melts at a 

 still higher temperature, but is very slightly either ductile 

 or malleable. How are the two to be explained ? First, 

 gold is not strong or tough, but ductile and malleable, 

 because its ultimate particles do not hold together from 

 force at their centres ; whilst, secondly, the superficial 

 attractive force of gold is great as compared with the central 

 force. Iron, in these respects, is the counterpart to gold. 



Therefore, the particles hold each other from falling away 

 from each other in gold with the greatest firmness and tenacity 

 from superficial attraction, as distinct from central attraction. 

 On the other hand, in gold there is no fulcrum of rest or 

 adhesion, but, as it were, a very vacuum or want of individual 

 bond each to each. The bond is that of any with any that 

 may touch the superficies ; hence the entire want of 

 definiteness, or particularness in the direction of force, and 

 this alone accounts for the universality of the extreme 

 ductileness of the metal, and its indefiniteness in applica- 

 tion to a specific or special end where strength is required. 



The melting point between iron and gold rests in all 

 probability upon the natural unimpressibility of each to the 

 repellent fluid, whether superficially or centrally applied, 

 both being sparingly impressed with that fluid, and of the 

 two iron probably the least. 



Let hydrogen be next examined. This metal or gas is, 

 so far as at present known, the lightest. And why ? We 

 do not know ; but, amongst other things, it is suggested that 

 it is an element the atoms of which are (as compared with 

 other elements) permeated with central attractive force, 

 and superficially very freely supplied with or surrounded 

 by repellent force, and that for this latter it has an in- 

 tense susceptibility to its presence. Hence, it readily changes 

 from solid compounds into the gaseous state, and each 



