136 Rutherford: Modern 



With these modifications, the one fluid theory and its 

 rival were mathematically identical, and it was grad- 

 ually recognized that it was impossible to devise any 

 obvious experimental test to decide between them. Under 

 the weight of these new hypotheses, however, the one 

 fluid theory lost its original simplicity and gave way to 

 some extent to its rival, and Aepinus himself finally be- 

 came an unwilling convert. It is not necessary to dis- 

 cuss further the conflict between the two theories. The 

 victory for the time inclined to the side of the two fluid 

 theory, but there were always adherents to Franklin's 

 hypothesis, especially in England. 



The idea that there were two distinct electrical enti- 

 ties was repugnant to the minds of many, and it was 

 seen that the modified Franklin theory served to explain 

 the experimental facts equally as well as the other, while 

 at the same time it possessed the merit of only requiring 

 one electrical fluid. 



The conflict between these two theories which ap- 

 peared so real and vital at the time has to us lost much 

 of its significance. We recognize that there is much 

 in common between the two theories, and that both are 

 equally successful as an explanation of electrostatics, and 

 it was quite fitting that both theories should take their 

 place, side by side, as alternative explanations of the 

 same phenomena. 



