Chemical Theory of Electricity and Magnetism. 69 



them may be called arctic ether and antarctic ether; and in this state 

 like the two electric fluids they are not cognizable by our senses or 

 experiments. 



When these two magnetic ethers are separated from each other, 

 and the arctic ether is accumulated on one end of an iron or steel bar, 

 which is then called the north pole of the magnet, and the antarctic 

 ether is accumulated on the other end of the bar, and is then termed 

 the south pole of the magnet; they become capable of attracting 

 other pieces of iron or steel, and are thus cognizable by experiments. 



It seems probable, that it is not the magnetic ether itself which 

 attracts or repels particles of iron, but that an attractive and repul- 

 sive ether attends the magnetic ethers, as was shown to attend the 

 electric ones in No. II. 9. of this Note; because magnetism does not 

 pass through other bodies, as it does not escape from magnetised steel 

 when in contact with other bodies; just as the electric fluids do not 

 pass through glass, but the attractive and repellent ethers, which 

 attend both the magnetic and electric ethers, pass through all bodies. 



2. The prominent articles of analogical coincidence between mag- 

 netism and electricity are first, that when one end of an iron bar 

 possesses an accumulation of arctic magnetic ether, or northern 

 polarity; the other end possesses an accumulation of antarctic mag- 

 netic ether, or southern polarity; in the same manner as when vitreous 

 electric ether is accumulated on one side of a coated glass jar, resi- 

 nous electric ether becomes accumulated on the other side of it; as 

 the vitreous and resinous ethers strongly attract each other, and 

 strongly repel the ethers of the same denomination, but are prevented 

 from intermixing by the glass plane between them; so the arctic and 

 antarctic ethers attract each other, and repel those of similar deno- 

 mination, but are prevented from intermixing by the iron or steel 

 being a bad conductor of them ; they will, nevertheless, sooner com- 

 bine, when the bar is of soft iron, than when it is of hardened steel; 

 and then they slowly combine without explosion, that is, without 

 emitting heat and light like the electric ethers, and therefore resemble 

 a mixture of oxygen and pure ammonia; which unite silently pro- 

 ducing a neutral fluid without emitting any other fluids previously 

 combined with them,. 



