IDENTICAL CHANGES 



and from a substance electrically excited must 

 change that flow equally on both sides. If the flow 

 into the interstices is quickened the flow from the 

 interstices must be quickened; and if the flow of 

 void matter for the formation of new atoms is 

 retarded the flow from dissolved atoms must be 

 retarded. 



And the distinctive difference between magnet- 

 ism and electricity seems to be that in magnetism 

 there is a polarity or dissimilarity between two 

 ends of the same substances, while in electricity 

 that dissimilarity is in two different substances 

 relative to one another. 



Because electricity has no direct relation to 

 mass, and because a hollow pipe will conduct elec- 

 tricity as freely as a solid rod of equal diameter, 

 therefore, it seems conclusive that the surfaces of 

 bodies only participate in electrical phenomena. 

 And, therefore, it is unlikely that the flow of void 

 matter, into the interstices of bodies, has much to 

 do with electricity directly. 



The hypotheses most nearly agreeing with ob- 

 served facts and logical conclusions seem to be that 

 electricity is an abnormal flow of void matter to 

 and from electrified substances; that in the case 

 of positive electricity the flow is greater than nor- 

 mal, and in the case of negative electricity it is 

 less than normal. And always the positive must 

 be accompanied by the negative, for the bodies that 

 manifest one state or the other are both connected 

 with the whole Universe, and positive and negative 

 187 



