CAPILLARY ATTRACTION. (APP. B.) 63 



finite atoms, or centres of force, static or 

 kinetic. 



Physical science abounds with evidence that 

 there is an ultimate very intense heterogeneous- 

 ness in the constitution of matter. All that is 

 valid of the unfortunately so-called " atomic " 

 theory of chemistry seems to be an assumption 

 of such heterogeneousness in explaining the com- 

 bination of substances. This alone, it is true, 

 does not explain the law of definite combining 

 proportions ; but neither does the hypothesis of 

 infinitely strong finite pieces of matter ; and what- 

 ever is assumed to be the structural character of 

 a chemical compound, a dynamical law of affinity 

 between the two substances, according to the pro- 

 portions of them lying or moving beside one 

 another, must be added to do what some writers 

 seem to suppose done by their "atomic theory." 



It is satisfactory to find that, so far as cohesion 

 is concerned, no other force than that of gravita- 

 tion need be assumed. 



