﻿Principles of Molecular Physics. 355 



mention this in order to make up for Professor Norton's silence 

 on this point. 



The sixth and last answer by which the learned Profes- 

 sor strives to weaken the force of my objection is an explana- 

 tion of the words " spherical in form " applied by him to 

 his atom of gross matter. To say that " all bodies of matter 

 consist of separate indivisible parts called atoms, each of which 

 is conceived to be spherical in form," as Professor Norton says 

 in his 3rd principle, was virtually to say that such atoms were 

 pieces of continuous matter. Such at least was my impression. 

 But he answers : 



' ' The assumption that each atom is spherical in form was adopted 

 merely as the simplest embodiment of the fundamental principles 

 that the action of the atom was equal in all directions, and that the 

 attractive action upon an atom of aether was neutralized at minute 

 distances by the resistance developed at the point of contact. The 

 existence of such a resistance necessarily implies that the elementary 

 parts of the attractive atom, whether finite or infinite in number, act 

 repulsively at very minute distances." 



I have already allowed that, when Professor Norton himself 

 explains the meaning attached by him to his own words, I am 

 not entitled to contradict him. It is strauge, however, that the 

 expression u spherical in form " which is drawn from geometry, 

 and conveys the clear notion of something geometrical only, 

 should have been in need of an interpretation drawn from me- 

 chanical considerations. However this anomaly may be ex- 

 plained, let us take notice first that Professor Norton, in giving 

 this interpretation, reveals to us a new " fundamental principle." 

 The principle is this : " The attractive action upon an atom of 

 aether is neutralized at minute distances by the resistance deve- 

 loped at the point of contact." Is this principle true ? I 

 think not. 



I have rigorously proved in my c Molecular Mechanics * (I 

 quote my own book for the excellent reason that no other book 

 to my knowledge has yet appeared in which the same subject 

 has been regularly and philosophically developed) that in the 

 true and immediate contact of matter with matter no action is 

 possible (pp. 14, 15). So long as this theorem holds good, I 

 cannot admit that any resistance is developed " at the point of 

 contact " of two atoms. Moreover, if the attractive action of 

 the so-called " gross matter " upon an atom of aether is neutra- 

 lized "at minute distances/' surely repulsion must prevail at 

 such minute distances : but when two atoms are at a minute 

 distance, they are not in contact ; and therefore, if the attractive 

 action is neutralized at minute distances, the resistance deve- 

 lopes before the two atoms reach the point of contact : and 



2A2 



