278 Address of Sir William Thompson. 
5 
medium for the interchange of good offices between science and 
the world ! 
Kinetic Theory of Gases—Atoms. 
refractory 
enigma. The deeply penetrating genius of Maxwell brought 
in viscosity and thermal conductivity, and thus completed the 
Pes such comprehensive molecular theory had ever been evel 
imagined before the nineteenth century. Definite and com lete 
In its area as it is, it is but a well-drawn part of a great : 
in which all physical science will be represented with evély 
a tek of matter shown in dynamical relation to the whole. 
is based on the assumption of atoms. But there can be 10 Lt 
manent satisfaction to the mind in explaining heat, light, ¢ 
tism in gases, liquids, 
ferent states of matter to one another by statistics of great nu? 
bers of atoms, when the properties of the atom itself are simpl : 
assumed. hen the theory, of which we have the first inst® 
ment in Clausius and Maxwell’s work, is complete, we are but 
brought face to face with a superlatively thas question,-—what 
is the inner mechanism of the atom ? at 
In the answer to this Beets we must find the explanatio? 
not only of the atomic icity, by which the atom is 4 chrom 
ometric vibrator, according to Stoke's discovery, but of chemical 
affinity and of the differences of quality of different chemical _ 
