FEBRUARY 15, 1901.] 
gan that would give us this power or to 
conjecture its mode of action, in discussing 
it, we find it convenient to use terms anal- 
ogous to those that we employ for the eye. 
We need, then, a keen sense that will en- 
able us to ‘see’ what takes place in the in- 
terior of masses in their several states of ag- 
gregation ; to ‘see’ the arrangement of the 
atoms within the molecule, and to study 
their behavior under the influence of well- 
known as well as obscure forms of energy. 
Even as Rontgen rays force a passage 
through the intermolecular voids of certain 
kinds of masses, a sixth sense might en- 
able us to ‘see’ the action of heat in sep- 
arating the molecules and the influence of 
chemism in uniting or in parting the atoms 
within them ; to perceive the mechanism of 
solution, to ‘see’ the infinitesimal particles 
of sodium chlorid.penetrate the aqueous 
liquid to form a homogeneous solution. To 
‘see’ the exact manner in which an elec- 
trical ‘current’ (so-called) exerts its sep- 
arating power when brought to bear upon a 
liquid ; to test whether the theory of ioniza- 
tion has any substantial foundation. A 
sixth sense might permit us to ‘see’ the 
energy manifested by the Hertzian waves 
which under the skilful management of 
Marconi are just beginning to serve the in- 
terests of man; to learn the secrets of that 
medium permeating interstellar and inter- 
molecular space which becomes the adjunct 
of sight; the art of photography has made 
visible views of the interior of masses im- 
permeable to rays of light and has yielded 
permanent records of the sound waves of 
the air, but we seem to need a sixth sense 
to cognize the operations of the luminif- 
erous ether. 
In the fantastic conception in which we 
have indulged the imaginary being is sup- 
posed to be intelligent, for mere sense-per- 
ception without the cooperation of the intel- 
lect could not augment one’s knowledge of 
the physical universe to any great extent. 
SCIENCE. 
243 
Through our bodily senses we learn the 
existence of natural phenomena, but it is 
through operations of the intellect that we 
acquire the deeper knowledge which be- 
comes the subject of imagination, of reason 
and, eventually, of faith. 
After observing that some kinds of matter 
suffer changes in form, in properties, in po- 
tential energy when subjected to the influ- 
ence of heat, of light, as well as to the action 
of other kinds of matter, and that certain 
causes produce uniformly identical results, 
thinking men made endeavors to explain 
the phenomena by inventing hypotheses as 
to the essence of the material objects and of 
the various kinds of energy acting upon 
them. In the infaney of learning, Greek 
philosophers of wonderful intuition con- 
ceived a theory of the constitution of matter 
that has made a lasting impress on physical 
science; the theory possessed marvelous 
adaptability, and when a Manchester school- 
master grafted upon the aged trunk the 
tender shoot of his genius, it soon grew to 
be a vigorous branch that bore fruit of un- 
suspected value. Nearly a century has 
elapsed and the atomic theory has secured 
a strong hold upon the minds of physicists 
and of chemists; maintained by men of 
sound judgment and great authority, im- 
parted by teachers of recognized ability to 
successive generations of pupils, it has be- 
come a matter of belief, adopted with a few 
exceptions by scientists throughout the en- 
lightened world, and in their hands it has 
become a potent factor in the progress of 
physical science. Yet this theory is purely 
a figment of the imagination and makes ex- 
traordinary assumptions difficult of cre- 
dence ; it supposes that matter is made up 
of very minute particles, indivisible, in- 
destructible, and unchangeable, separated 
from one another by void spaces larger than 
the particles themselves ; these diminutive 
atoms are of definite, uniform and constant 
figure, and are in perpetual motion in all 
