IDENTICAL CHANGES 



descence were a hastening of the life process of 

 outlying atoms. Those bodies that are hard to melt 

 evidently possess atoms that are very long in pro- 

 portion to their breadth, and probably they get 

 broken up in the forcible expansion of heat. 



While the light derived from incandescence does 

 not increase the Mass of anything upon which it 

 falls, yet every body absorbing light is increased 

 in bulk; that is, the light heats up the body and 

 enlarges its interstices, which must needs be full 

 of void matter. 



Then since the light of incandescence shows a 

 surplus over normal, of void matter, and the trans- 

 mission of light is a mere mechanical displacement 

 of void matter, therefore, the abnormal flow must 

 be produced in the incandescent surface. 



But while that flow can be, in its abnormality, 

 transmitted through a vacuum only by a displace- 

 ment of P. S. of void matter, such transmission is 

 greatly different from a transmission of any other 

 force. 



PROPOSITION XXIII. 



(HYPOTHESIS.) 



Transparency of solid bodies can only be a result 

 of a change in the transparent body, effected 

 through the agency of the light, on the life 

 process of transparent bodies. 

 Gravity and magnetism penetrate all things. 

 Heat will distribute itself through the whole of 

 any substance. 



205 



