ON THE NATURE OF THE ELECTRIC DIS- 
CHARGE. THE ONE-FLUID AND THE TWO- 
FLUID THEORIES. 
Francis E. NIpHer. 
It is now nearly three years since the writer began a 
search for some direct and tangible evidence which would 
determine the direction of flow of the electric current in 
a conductor. The phenomena revealed by the study of 
radio-active bodies had shown that we have in the 8 
particles an agent which fills the requirements of an 
‘electric fluid.’’? The particles are evidently incapable 
of flowing through a conducting wire. But it did not 
seem impossible that the @ particles might be com- 
posed of a nucleus and a similar fluid which might have 
the properties of the positive fluid. 
In the present paper an attempt will be made to present 
evidence with which all are familiar, and which has been 
accumulating during many years, which seems important 
in determining the nature of the current in a wire con- 
ductor. Additional evidence will be presented which 
seems to be inconsistent with the two-fluid theory. 
The results of Wheatstone’s work on the velocity of an 
electric disturbance are in harmony with either the one- 
fluid or the two-fluid hypothesis. An examination of 
Wheatstone’s paper! revealed the fact that his drawings 
of the rotating mirror show a device which is incapable 
of a rotation of 800 times per second. The mirror is not 
central on the shaft. The spark knob which permitted 
the passage of the spark when the mirror was in the 
proper position for observing the image of the spark 
board was balanced by a similar knob on the opposite side 
of the shaft. But in order that only one spark should 
Presented before The Academy of Science of St. Louis, Jan. 17, 1910. 
1 Phil. Tr. R. Soc. 18384. 
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