﻿298 Mr. C. W. Vincent on the Relations of 



the primary magnet loses nothing of its own power; therefore 

 the only apparent force to which we can look for the production 

 of the newborn magnetism is that exerted in moving the piece 

 of steel through the lines of magnetic force of the parent mag- 

 net. To the writer it seems impossible to believe that the tem- 

 porary exertion of muscular or other energy is thus converted 

 into a force which is capable of indefinite multiplication by its 

 own exertion through time. He feels that such a conclusion 

 could not be accepted in the case of other phenomena. The force 

 used to squeeze out the air from between two perfectly straight 

 polished surfaces is not now accepted as the cause of their con- 

 tinued adhesion, as the muscular exertion used to invert the 

 barometer-tube is not the measure of the force which holds so 

 many ounces or pounds of mercury apparently against the gra- 

 vitating force. We know that the very force which appears 

 to be militated against is the maintaining power; and the 

 analogy which to the mind of the writer is presented in some 

 of the phenomena of magnetism leads him to expect that, when 

 its sustaining-power is fully understood, it will be found to be 

 the same force as that which it exerts, and by which it is created, 

 viz. diamagnetism. In putting forth these hypotheses, the writer 

 does not so much intend to direct the minds of scientific supe- 

 riors as to the definite end of a research into magnetic and dia- 

 magnetic action as to give a sort of explanation of the drift of the 

 following experiments, which might otherwise not be understood 

 from his point of view. 



Diamagnetism is polar and dual. Static electricity gives the 

 opportunity of splitting this duality and separating the polarity, 

 by the electrification of matter in the positive and negative states 

 respectively. He trusts he is not too bold in making these asser- 

 tions ; but philosophers have so long been accustomed to take up 

 the argument from the other end, that, although not dealing with 

 this hypothesis in the present paper, he is compelled to risk 

 agreement with the thoughts of others. 



A magnet is a circuit of power, the lines of expression of force 

 equal in amount within and without ; those within have a re- 

 lation in direction to those without, and in fact are continua- 

 tions of them absolutely unchanged in their nature, so far as the 

 experimental test can be applied to them. Every line of force, 

 therefore, at whatever distance it may be taken from the mag- 

 net, must be considered as a closed circuit, passing in some part 

 of its course through the magnet, and having an equal amount 

 of force in every part of its course*. If, then, we can cut off the 

 lines of force exterior to the magnet, or any part of them, the 

 total magnetic force exerted should be disturbed to the extent 

 * "Faraday, Experimental Researches, Series XXVIII. 3117. 



