232 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



its current was caused by its own repellent force, we have proof here for every 

 principle I have advanced. Proof of the affinity, proof of the dual nature of the 

 element, proof of the repulsion. ' . 



These subtle gases are forever grasping whatever they can lay hands on, 

 and they are running away with all, according to their ability. You cannot see 

 their operations, but your olfactory nerve gives some account of their proceeding 

 and " the half hath never been told." 



In connection with odors, all here advanced finds the strongest confirmation. 

 Radiant heat is destroyed or becomes latent in connection with all odors. Pass- 

 ing radiant heat through dry air, nitrogen, or hydrogen, very Uttle of it is lost. 

 Calling this loss i, the loss in passing it through ammonia is 7260, through sul- 

 phuric acid 8800. You may say it is stricken down, but it affiliates with the 

 matter and becomes latent. By passing radiant heat through vapors, still greater 

 differences are manifested. In passing heat through ozone, both the heat and the 

 ozone become lost, as they enter into combination. But enough of this. It is 

 as plain as the sunlight in the heavens, that heat enters into composition with the 

 most infinitesimal particles of matter. This is the atom. Out of these atoms 

 come moleculcF, and gasts, and fluids, and solids. 



A few thoughts more may be presented as having some bearing on the dis- 

 cussion. We have the laws of reflection of light, and of heat. This reflection 

 comes from a rebound, or from elasticity, as when a rubber ball is thrown against 

 a smooth surface. We can conceive of the most tiny atoms rebounding. But 

 can a wave rebound ? That a motion should rebound is unthinkable. That a 

 wave should rebound is absurd. The reflection of light and of heat seems to 

 demand an atomic theory. 



Again, we have the laws of the refraction of light, and of heat. The solar 

 spectrum shows that heat is refracted less than light, and light less than the 

 chemical-rays. That is, the heavier the enswarthment of the heat atom, the 

 greater the refraction. That is just as we would expect. We all agree that 

 refraction results, first, from a check to velocity given on entering the denser 

 medium ; and second, from the acceleration obtained on passing out of it. An 

 atom can receive the check more readily than the wave. Will some one please 

 tell us how the wave will receive acceleration on going out ? Explain to us how 

 anything, whose motion depends on the force with which' it started, being once 

 retarded, will receive acceleration ? The thing is absurd. But, on my theory, as 

 all these rays approach the earth, they have new impulse, from that powerful 

 affinity out of which grows all attraction. What better confirmation could we 

 want? And this leads to the remark, that perhaps nature is not so prodigal as 

 to send out into all empty space, the source of blessings that are shed upon us. 



I want to say this on radiation. The molecules of water becoming heated, 

 expand and rise. We say they carry heat by convection. So the molecules of air 

 becoming heated, expand and rise. They, too, carry heat by convection. It is 

 well known that the air carries electricity hy convection. The air-molecule becom- 

 ing charged, is repelled ; at some distant point it unloads its cargo, then returns 



