290 INTRA-ATOMIC ENEEGY. 



What becomes of the elements dissociated from atoms? They have 

 lost, as we liave shown, their material character, and Ave suppose that 

 they are made up of electric particles. Where do these particles 

 g'o to '( 



We are here at the extreme limits of our knowledge aiid are reduced 

 to replacing' explanations by conjectures and interrogation points. 

 We have seen the material atom become dissociated. Matter consid- 

 ered as energ-}^ condensed under a form in which it acquires weight, 

 form, and lixit}' has become transformed into imponderable elements 

 that are no longer matter, but are not yet ether. Of their destiny we 

 are still entireh' ignorant. 



We know b}" experiment that the}' can not again form the matter 

 from which they were derived. Does the electric atom, which all 

 modern ideas lead us to consider as a localized modification of the 

 ether, having a permanence in the ether, preserve its individuality 

 indefinitely? Is it eternal while matter is not so? 



Whetlier it remains isolated or associates itself with matter having 

 a contrary sign matters little. Even though b}- such an association it 

 should form an atom of neutral electricity — an unknown thing, shown 

 as yet by no experiment — it possesses an individuality. But how 

 long a time does it keep it? If it does not keep it, what does it then 

 become ? 



That the atom of electricit}' that necessarily had a ])eginuing is des- 

 tined to have no end seems hardly probable. If all electric atoms 

 persist, while their formation is continuous under the influence of so 

 man}^ diverse causes, the}^ would finally accumulate to such an extent 

 that they might form a new universe or at least a sort of nebula. It 

 is therefore probable that they end by losing their individual existence* 

 But how can they then disappear? Can we suppose that their destiny 

 is like that of the blocks of ice that float about in the polar regions and 

 preserve their individual existence so long as they do not encounter 

 the only cause that can destrov them — an elevation of temperature? 

 As soon as this cause of destruction acts upon them the}' vanish and 

 disappear in the ocean. Such, perhaps, is the final destiny of the 

 electric atom. When it has radiated all its energy it disappeai's in the 

 ether and is no more." 



«This conception evidently does not agree with the first principle of thermo- 

 dynamics; but if the dogma of the indestructibility of matter is taken away, that of 

 tlie conservation of energy f?eem9 likewise somewhat menaced, ffowever, the ques- 

 tion is too important to be discussed here, and we will take it up in another paper. 

 It seems very proba])le, and I am not alone in so thinking, that the law of the 

 conservation of energy, whose uncertain limits tiave been so V)rilliantly demonstrated 

 by M. Poincare in his recent work. La Science et I'Hypothese, is, Hke most physical 

 laws, like that of Mariotte, for example, true only within certain limits. It would, 

 then, be useful to preserve it for convenience in calculations. 



