Prof. AV. A. Norton on Molecular Physics. 209 



sition and office in nature are different. Professor Bayma also 

 recognized, in Lis ' Molecular Mechanics/ three distinct portions 

 or general varieties of matter differing in certain attributes, viz. 

 the attractive nucleus or "nuclei" of a primitive molecule, a repul- 

 sive "envelope" surrounding the nuclei/ and the aether of space. 

 In my reply to his criticisms, I stated that we agree in admitting 

 the existence of two kinds of matter and three forms of matter. 

 Thus, according to my view, ordinary or gross matter, i. e. ordi- 

 nary material atoms or elements, constitutes one kind of matter, 

 and sethereal matter another kind. The latter has the same fun- 

 damental properties, inertia, &c. as the former, but differs from 

 it in some special property or attribute. Thus the atoms of or- 

 dinary matter were regarded as mutually attractive, and those of 

 sethereal matter as mutually repulsive. It was also conceived 

 that the active forces of the atoms of ordinary matter might be 

 much less intense than those of sethereal matter — although the 

 enormous difference between the elastic forces of the aether of 

 space and of the electric aether and those in operation within 

 bodies of ordinary matter might be wholly due to the fact that 

 the latter forces are the reciprocal effective actions of molecules, 

 which are differential, being the resultant of antagonistic actions. 

 I will here take occasion to remark that the notion that the 

 atoms of ordinary matter are mutually attractive, at first adopted, 

 does not seem to be a necessary one ; for if we regard them as 

 mutually repulsive, it is conceivable that the attraction of gra- 

 vitation might consist in a feeble excess in the attraction of the 

 central atom of each molecule for the atmosphere of every other 

 over and above the repulsion subsisting between the atmospheres 

 of the two molecules, together with the corresponding excess in 

 the attraction of the electric atmosphere of the first molecule for 

 the central atom of every other over the repulsion subsisting be- 

 tween the central atoms of the two molecules. In fact the ex- 

 istence of the former excess is one of the theoretical deductions 

 of my ' Molecular Physics/ Upon the view now taken, an 

 atom of ordinary matter may differ from an sether-atom only in 

 exerting a less energetic repulsion (in accordance with the theory 

 propounded in my former answer to Professor Bayma), and in 

 exerting a direct attractive action upon the atoms of the electric 

 aether. The two aethers, which differ only in subtilety, and ordi- 

 nary matter, as it has been defined, constitute the "three forms 

 of matter." 



With Professor Bayma the distinction between two kinds of 

 matter lies wholly in the kind of activity manifested. The one 

 kind is essentially attractive for all other elements, and the other 

 essentially repulsive. He recognizes two varieties or forms of 

 attractive matter — the molecular nuclei and the lumiuiferous 



