INTRA-ATOMIC ENERGY. 281 



havo not l>oeii taken into account by chemists because tlieir balances, 

 the most essential means for testing, are not sufficiently sensitive to 

 show the changes that occur. 



It is evident that we do not yet Icnow the mechanism of the Intra- 

 atomic reactions that produce radio-activity, but we do alread}- know 

 some of the conditions capable of producing this phenomenon to a 

 certain degree. In chemistry it is not necessary to know all the con- 

 ditions of a reaction, but often only a small number of them, in order 

 to cause that reaction to appear. A child knowing nothing of the 

 meclianism of a steam engine may set it going by simply shifting the 

 lever by which the steam is turned on. In the greater number of 

 ordinary chemical reactions we work a little as the child does, without 

 comprehending anything of the action of the mechanism and seeing 

 only the tinal results. 



Section D. — Modificati<m>< i)r(>(hu-<'d In. matter l>y tJie ixni'ial dimocla- 



tion (if its (ttotns. 



We know that the products of the dissociation of atoms can not be 

 recombined so as to form the bodies from which they originate. We 

 also know that this dissociation can not be effected, at least by the 

 means at present at our disposal, except for an infinitesimal quantity 

 of matter. We must not, therefore, expect to find a very profound 

 modification in matter onl}' a small part of which has been dissociated. 

 A modification does, however, necessarily exist. A body whose atoms 

 have been partly dissociated is necessarily different from the same 

 bod}' before dissociation has commenced. What, then, are the modifi- 

 cations presented b}' bodies after the emission of effluvia from tiiem? 



Here we are obliged to leave for the moment the regions of pure 

 experimentation and proceed by the wa}- of conjectures and analogies. 

 We are at the threshold of a new chemistry in which the ordinary 

 reagents and balances can not help us at all, since we are dealing with 

 reactions whose ph3^sical effects ma}'^ be considerable, although the 

 quantities of matter emploj'ed may l)e almost infinitely small. 



We can, however, already say that the existence of this future 

 science — intra-atomic chemistry — does not depend u})on hypotheses 

 alone. Numerous facts, scattered here and there, and hitluM-to un(>x- 

 plained, already give some scientific support to these hypothc^ses and 

 seem to l)e about to soon transform them into solid realities. 



These facts show us, indeed, tiiat certain simple bodies may undergo 

 transformations sufficient to change fheir most fundanuMital proper- 

 ties. 1 have shown tiiis by my expei-iincMits witii alumituim and 

 magnesium, l)ut it is shown still better with metals in the so-called 

 colloidal state. When in that state, even though they are diluted to 

 an incredible degree — since according to Bernek colloidal platimun is 



