828 
with as many thousand notes. We cover 
the atom with patches of electricity here 
and there and make of it a system com- 
pared with which the planetary system, 
nay the universe itself, is simplicity. Nay 
more: some of us even claim the power, 
which Newton attributed to God alone, of 
breaking the atom into smaller pieces 
whose size is left to the imagination: 
Where, then, is that person who ignorantly 
sneers at the study of matter as a material 
and gross study? Where, again, is that 
man with gifts so God-like and mind so ele- 
vated that he can attack and solve its prob- 
lem ? 
To all matter we attribute two prop- 
erties, gravitation and inertia. Without 
these two matter cannot exist. The great- 
est of the natural laws states that the 
power of gravitational attraction is propor- 
tional to the mass of the body. This law of 
Newton, almost neglected in the thoughts 
of physicists, undoubtedly has vast import 
of the very deepest meaning. Shall it 
mean that all matter is finally constructed 
of uniform and similar primordial atoms or 
can we find some other explanation ? 
That the molecules of matter are not 
round, we know from the facts of crystal- 
lography and the action of matter in rota- 
ting the plane of polarization of light. 
That portions of the molecules and even 
of the atoms are electrically charged, we 
know from electrolysis, the action of gases 
in a vacuum tube and from the Zeeman 
effect. 
That some of them act like little magnets, 
we know from the magnetic action of iron, 
nickel and cobalt. 
That they are elastic, the spectrum shows, 
and that the vibrating portion carries the 
electrified charge with it is shown by the 
Zeeman effect. 
Here, then, we have made quite a start 
in our problem: but how far are we from 
the complete solution? How can we im- 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. X. No. 258. 
agine the material of which ordinary or 
primordial atoms are made, dealing as we 
do only with aggregation of atoms alone? 
Forever beyond our sight, vibrating an 
almost infinite number of times in a second, 
moving hither and yon with restless energy 
at all temperatures beyond the absolute 
zero of temperature, itis certainly a wonder- 
ful feat of human reason and imagination 
that we know as much as we do at present. 
Encouraged by these results, let us not 
linger too long in their contemplation but 
press forward to the new discoveries which 
await us in the future. 
Then as to electricity, the subtile spirit. 
of the amber, the demon who reached out 
his gluttonous arms to draw in the light 
bodies within his reach, the fluid which 
could run through metals with the greatest 
ease but could be stopped by a frail piece of 
glass! Where is it now? Vanished, 
thrown on the waste heap of our discarded 
theories to be replaced by a far nobler and 
exalted one of action in the ether of space. 
And so we are brought to consider that 
other great entity—the ether: filling all 
space without limit, we imagine the ether 
to be the only means by which two portions 
of matter distant from each other can have 
any mutual action. By its means we 
imagine every atom in the universe to be 
bound to every other atom by the force of 
gravitation and often by the force of mag- 
netic and electric action, and we conceive 
that it alone conveys the vibratory motion 
of each atom or molecule out into space to 
be ever lost in endless radiation, passing out 
into infinite space or absorbed by some other 
atoms which happen to be in its path. By 
it all electromagnetic energy is conveyed 
from the feeble attraction of the rubbed 
amber through the many thousand horse- 
power conveyed by the electric wires from 
Niagara to the mighty rush of energy always 
flowing from the Sun in a flood of radiation. 
Actions feebleand actions mighty from inter- 
