MECHANISM OF NATURE 



stitute the lightest Atom (Prop. VI, B. 2) ; per- 

 haps this is Hydrogen. 



The least difference between any two atoms, 

 according to some table of atomic weights, is 18-100 

 of the weight of the Hydrogen atom, between 

 N S and C O. That seems to indicate the atom of 

 Hydrogen is composed of five Primary Spheres or 

 of a multiple of five. 



By putting together, in closest contact, a given 

 number of Spheres, there will always result a 

 peculiar form. And that peculiar form will easily 

 fit another peculiar form, giving an idea of the 

 valence of chemical substances. The periodical law 

 of Chemistry will furnish another guide, and most 

 probable there will appear, in the increase of the 

 constituent ultimate particles of Atoms, a fixed 

 series, as there is in the increase of squares and 

 cubes, and in circles that are in closest contact 

 within a greater circle. 



There are in the iron family, which constitutes 

 the most prominent magnetic substances, many 

 peculiarities. In order to make the magnetic qual- 

 ity permanent there seems to be required some 

 sort of crystallization. The atom of coal somehow 

 enters into combination with the atom of iron in 

 steel. 



And the mysterious process of tempering aids 

 greatly in making the steel retain magnetism. Be- 

 cause iron and coal are very hard to melt it is 

 evident that their atoms are very long in propor- 

 tion to breadth. 



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