372 E. B. Hunt on the Dispersion of Light 



nity. Much do I admire and respect Huyghens and his success- 

 ors ; still more do I admire and respect truth, and this would I 

 exalt by eliminating error. 



III. A brief outline of my own views of refraction and dis- 

 persion will conclude this article. Having been, for many 

 months, engaged in comparing with nature, the results mathe- 

 matically deducible from a particular physical law far exceed- 

 ing in generality any yet developed ; and having reached the 

 subjoined views, solely by deduction from this law, it seems well 

 here to state it, with its data and some of its consequences. Data. 



1. Matter is of two kinds, generically distinct : a chemical atom 

 being the unit of one, and an ether particle, that of the other. 



2. Particles are indefinitely smaller than atoms, and all particles 

 are identical in form, force and volume. 3. A particular species 

 of atoms, characterizes each chemical element ; all individuals 

 of each species being perfectly alike in form, force and volume. 

 4. All atoms and particles are immutable in form, force and vol- 

 ume. 5. Each atom and particle has inertia and hence maintains 

 constant equilibrium. Law.* Material generic likes repel and 

 unlikes attract each other inversely as the square of their dis- 

 tances. 



Under this law, each atom in an ether medium, forms an ether 

 atmosphere, very dense at its surface, but soon becoming evan- 

 escent. A molecule is an atom xoith its ether atmosphere. 

 Masses, gaseous, liquid or solid, consist of such molecules in 

 mutual equilibrium. Molecules must attract or repel each other 

 inversely as the square of their distance, (an approximation like 

 the law.) Gravitation between masses is the resultant of the in- 

 definitely great number of evanescent attractions between their 

 component molecules. Cohesion is the resultant of the finite 

 number of indefinitely great molecular attractions acting within 

 the sphere of attractive evanescence. Gravitation and cohesion 

 result from the same primary force, acting through sensible or in- 

 sensible distances. Molecular repulsion is an elastic ether tension 

 along the dividing surface between molecules, maintained by the 

 converging atomic attractions on ether in their intervening spaces. 

 A constant balance exists between this elastic tension and cohe- 

 sion. Latent heat is molecular ether; sensible heat, disengaged 

 ether, free to flow as air in wind ; radiant heat ether-transmitting 

 leaves, and light ether non-transmitting waves. Crystaliogemo. 

 forces, capillary attractions, elasticity, chemical affinity, statical 

 and dynamical electricity with electrolysis, dia-magnetism, (mag* 

 netism I find the most refractory subject,) all receive clear and 

 harmonious explanation under this one mechanical hypothesis. 



* Tb law requires modification when applied between two units so near together 

 that their lines of force action cannot be taken parallel in determining the resultant. 



