﻿affecting 
  Matter 
  in 
  Diverse 
  Stages 
  of 
  Subdivision. 
  347 
  

  

  ratio 
  as 
  the 
  other 
  dimensional 
  elements, 
  may 
  not 
  possibly 
  

   appear 
  so 
  evident 
  at 
  first 
  sight. 
  

  

  An 
  ideal 
  case, 
  although 
  not 
  exactly 
  applicable 
  in 
  nature, 
  

   may, 
  as 
  approximately 
  applicable, 
  often 
  be 
  of 
  practical 
  utility 
  

   to 
  illustrate 
  closely 
  natural 
  facts. 
  Thus 
  actually, 
  by 
  diverse 
  

   stages 
  of 
  aggregation 
  of 
  material 
  into 
  grosser 
  clusters, 
  inter- 
  

   stices 
  exist 
  between 
  the 
  component 
  corpuscules 
  which 
  con- 
  

   stitute 
  the 
  cluster, 
  and 
  that 
  even 
  if 
  the 
  component 
  corpuscules 
  

   be 
  supposed 
  to 
  possess 
  some 
  elasticity 
  [adaptation 
  of 
  shape 
  to 
  

   pressure], 
  or 
  imagined 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  actual 
  contact. 
  Our 
  object 
  

   here 
  is 
  to 
  consider 
  the 
  ideal 
  case 
  where 
  the 
  interstices 
  

   eliminate 
  themselves. 
  

  

  The 
  electron 
  theory 
  of 
  the 
  corpuscular 
  constitution 
  of 
  

   Matter 
  is 
  taking 
  a 
  foremost 
  place 
  in 
  philosophical 
  thought 
  in 
  

   the 
  present 
  day. 
  May 
  it 
  not 
  be 
  conceivable 
  that 
  in 
  certain 
  

   regions 
  of 
  the 
  universe 
  these 
  corpuscules 
  part 
  with 
  their 
  

   motion 
  (whether 
  by 
  transference 
  &c.) 
  If 
  so, 
  then 
  under 
  central 
  

   forces 
  such 
  as 
  gravitation 
  &c. 
  the 
  corpuscules, 
  if 
  elastic, 
  could 
  

   aggregate 
  into 
  masses 
  practically 
  continuous 
  [comparable 
  to 
  a 
  

   continuous 
  fluid], 
  without 
  interstices, 
  excepting 
  possibly 
  near 
  

   the 
  exterior 
  confines 
  of 
  the 
  masses. 
  The 
  very 
  high 
  intensity 
  

   of 
  motion 
  of 
  corpuscules, 
  observed 
  by 
  us, 
  may 
  well 
  only 
  

   exist 
  in 
  a 
  relatively 
  small 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  universe, 
  namely 
  

   in 
  those 
  (probably 
  exceptional) 
  regions 
  where 
  Life, 
  as 
  known 
  

   to 
  us, 
  prevails. 
  

  

  "While 
  physical 
  consequences 
  or 
  relations 
  in 
  their 
  ideal 
  

   exactness 
  may 
  of 
  course 
  have 
  a 
  permanence 
  not 
  unlike 
  mathe- 
  

   matical 
  truths, 
  they 
  may 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  apply 
  to 
  possible 
  

   realities 
  of 
  Nature 
  with 
  sufficient 
  approximation 
  to 
  merit 
  that 
  

   realization 
  which 
  makes 
  knowledge 
  productive. 
  

  

  Let 
  us 
  consider 
  the 
  in 
  some 
  respects 
  ideal 
  case 
  of 
  a 
  perfect 
  

   fluid 
  in 
  diverse 
  stages 
  of 
  subdivision 
  into 
  spherical 
  globules, 
  

   and 
  where, 
  under 
  assumed 
  central 
  forces, 
  the 
  globules 
  [however 
  

   small 
  by 
  subdivision, 
  or 
  however 
  large, 
  by 
  aggregation, 
  they 
  

   may 
  become] 
  automatically 
  resume 
  the 
  spherical 
  form 
  when 
  

   left 
  to 
  themselves. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  above 
  premisses, 
  we 
  observe 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  readily 
  demon- 
  

   strable 
  that 
  a 
  progressive 
  subdivision 
  of 
  material 
  to 
  stages 
  

   finer 
  and 
  finer, 
  has 
  the 
  consequence 
  that 
  the 
  radii 
  of 
  the 
  

   (globular 
  formed) 
  corpuscules 
  thus 
  set 
  free, 
  their 
  mean 
  

   distance, 
  reckoned 
  from 
  centre 
  to 
  centre, 
  with 
  their 
  " 
  mean 
  

   length 
  of 
  path," 
  — 
  these 
  dimensional 
  properties 
  (of 
  the 
  medium 
  

   thus 
  constituted), 
  although 
  changing 
  absolutely, 
  are 
  relatively 
  

   unalterable 
  by 
  this 
  process 
  of 
  subdivision 
  of 
  the 
  material 
  and 
  

   consequent 
  multiplication 
  of 
  available 
  parts, 
  but 
  remain 
  as 
  

   constant 
  as 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  material 
  itself. 
  

  

  