TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION B. 547 



These results sugirest that the primordial basis is to be found in an element 

 having half the combining weight of hydrogen, as first suggested by Prout, and 

 that any attempt to represent chemical attributes, characters, or potencies by 

 physical forms ought to proceed on this assumption. 



Following analogy, the name Diniidiiim is suggested for this hypothetic ele- 

 ment, and, in order to have an integer basis, the combining weights of all the 

 elements are doubled in the present paper. 



The relations of attraction and repulsion under the influence of polar forces 

 sugirest a linear form fur .such a primordial element. 



Sir W. Thomson's theory of vortex rings as the primordial form of matter, as 

 distinguished from a primordial chemical element, would account for such a linear 

 form ; a series of vorte.v rings, superposed one on the other, would yield a form 

 elongated in one direction while limited in the other two. 



If such a series of vortex rings were held in position by forces analogous to 

 gravitation on the one hand, and gaseous repulsion on the other, two points would 

 idtimately be reached iu the length of the series of rings where the attractive force 

 of the mass would be exactly balanced by the repulsive force between the last two 

 rings ; this would account for the limitation in length of such a series of rings. 



Hence we arrive at the conception of a bar-like form of definite length for this 

 primordial element. But the crystalline forms assumed by the known chemical 

 elements suggest that their ultimate atoms are probably solid forms ; but, if con- 

 structed out of a primordial linear form, they would more probably be skeleton 

 solids than solid throughout. Polar forces, acting with greater intensity at the 

 extremities of linear forms, would also point to skeleton forms for the atoms of the 

 elements. But the atom of hydrogen, consi.stin? of only two such linear forms, 

 would necessarily be a plane form. Under the influence of the forces of repulsion, 

 which result in the separation of the molecules of a gas, inter se, these two linear 

 components of hydrogen would probably be held apart at a distance from each 

 other comparable to that separating the molecules of a gas ; perhaps equal to the 

 length of the linear element. 



A physical distinction is thus suggested between the internal arrangement of 

 the primordial components in the case of a gas, and their arrangement in a solid 

 or liquid. They might probably be thus separated in the case of a gas, and coherent 

 in a solid or a liquid. 



The form suggested for the atom of hydrogen is therefore that of two linear 

 components separated by a plane wherein force only operates without the presence 

 of material substance ; the molecule of free hydrogen would then be repre.<ented 

 by four such linear elements, or bars, placed so as to form the bounding edges 

 of an open cube. Solid hydrogen would be represented by the same four bars 

 placed in lateral contact. 



The latent heat of an elementary gas would probably be, in fact, the amount of 

 force required to overcome the mutual attraction of such component bars of the 

 element when thus placed in lateral contact. 



In attempting to represent the other elements on this hypothesis, it is neces- 

 sary to conform to certain data presented by the element as found iu Nature, such 

 as, 1, the combining weight — that is to say, the accepted combining weight being 

 stated in relation to hydrogen, twice that number of linear Dimidium elements 

 are to be regarded as contained therein, and so many bars representing this linear 

 element are to be used in the construction of the model. 2. The valency of each 

 element must be exhibited in the model as actually existing in the element in 

 relation to hydrogen. 3. Some representation must be given of the electro-positive 

 and electro-negative conditions as contrasted with each other, and such as to 

 suggest facile combination between elements thus opposed to each other. 4. The 

 possibility of combination between two electro-negative elements, such as N and O, 

 should also be brought out. 5. The crystalline form known to be assumed by any 

 given element ought to come out in the form of the model. 



The primary forms into which the primordial linear elements would arrange 

 themselves would probably be those of simple and regular geometrical forms — 

 namely, the equilateral triangle and the square. Secondary forms, skeleton solids, 



N N 2 



