﻿Principles of Molecular Physics. 277 



also. Why then should we make a distinction between gross 

 matter and aether, as if the matter of the one had attributes not 

 shared by the matter of the other ? 



The author will say that his " gross matter " has other mecha- 

 nical attributes besides the three mentioned. True : but I main- 

 tain that these other attributes are not attributes of matter itself 

 as such, but of a mechanical compound of material parts. For it 

 is only on account of its mechanical composition that the so-called 

 u gross matter " possesses different properties in different sub- 

 stances — it being evident that it is a difference either in the 

 number and nature of the components or in the mode of their 

 composition that entails a difference in the constitution, atomic 

 weight, and other properties of molecules. On the contrary, if 

 gross matter were only one form of primitive matter, how could it 

 possibly have different attributes in different substances ? Gross 

 matter, according to Professor Norton, is attractive : and yet 

 possesses all the mechanical attributes of matter, and therefore 

 impenetrability, viz. reactivity against pressure; an attribute 

 which implies repulsive powers. Now, the learned Professor 

 acknowledges that attractive matter and repulsive matter are two 

 kinds of matter. He must therefore acknowledge that gross 

 matter is not a primitive form of matter, but a compound of 

 primitive elements, some attractive, and others repulsive. This 

 remark would seem sufficient to expose the fallacy of Professor 

 Norton's argument. He calls " gross matter M that which is 

 not a primitive unit, but a number of material units : and then 

 concludes that such gross matter having special properties must 

 be " an essentially different form of matter." We might as well 

 say: Let a company of men be called "gross man;" then, as 

 such a gross man has some attributes which are not predicable 

 of each individual, let us conclude that " gross man " is an essen- 

 tially different form of man. 



Something remains to be said about the two sethers, the elec- 

 tric and the luminiferous, which are, according to the author, 

 two other distinct forms of matter. The learned Professor him- 

 self remarks that " some physicists are striving to do away with 

 the supposed electric fluid." This fact, which is perfectly true, 

 would tend to prove that the existence of electric aether as a spe- 

 cial form of matter is not yet " an established truth." But Pro- 

 fessor Norton adds : 



" Our author implies in the remarks above quoted that the exist- 

 ence of an electric aether is not only not an established truth, but is 

 to be ranked among those questionable notions that have been re- 

 ceived without serious examination. This implication is obviously 

 unjust. Besides, the serious examination that he has given the sub- 

 ject only leads him to confirm the substantial truth of what he would 



