84 Attraction of Gravitation 



August 24th, at night. — Slight shock ; sultry, with rain. 



August 27th, 2 a.m. — Slight shock, rained heavily. 9.10 

 p.m. — Slight shock, oscillating, lasted several seconds ; sultry 

 and overcast. 



Septeuiber 14th, 5 p.m. — Sharp shock. 



October 16th, 6.30 a.m. — Slight shock ; day fine and calm. 



October l7th, 3 a.m. — Two severe shocks, and one slight 

 one. 



Art. XII. — On the Prohability that a Connexion of Causa- 

 tion will he shown to exist between the Attraction of 

 Gravitcdion and the Molecular Energy of Matter. 



By Alexander Sutherland, M.A. 



[Read on the 13th Sept., 1877.] 



In his recent paper on " Force" Mr. Pirani asks what is 

 meant when we say that one portion of matter attracts 

 another. Is it to be supposed that just as a conscious being 

 exerts a force upon an external object, so does one inanimate 

 body exert a force upon another ? To this notion he takes 

 exception, and, as I conceive, with justice. For the idea that 

 that which is itself devoid of energy should have the power 

 of imparting energy to another body is opposed to all our 

 intuitive beliefs. 



Yet the fact remains, that when two bodies are placed in 

 space at a distance from each other, and left to themselves, 

 each begins to set the other in motion — that is, each imparts 

 to the other a certain amount of kinetic energy. 



Here we have a difficulty : on the one hand it is incon- 

 ceivable that inanimate bodies should have the power of 

 doing work, on the other there is every reason to believe 

 that two portions of matter can do work upon one another. 

 But in this connexion is not the word inanimate altogether 

 misapplied ? Now that we know all matter to be replete 

 with energy, would it not be more correct to regard it as in 

 certain respects animate ? Seeing that it is possessed of 

 energy, it must be possessed of the power of doing work, 

 and if we could establish a connection between this 

 internal molecular energy of matter and its power of doing 



