i873«] Actinism and Magnetism. 305 



their particles thrown into the state of magnetic or dualistic 

 vibration by ethereal waves, which in other bodies would 

 produce quite different effects, and may reciprocally pro- 

 duce in the ether back waves having the same dualistic 

 properties. 



The supposition that the ether consists of two fluids 

 might throw much light on the magnetic condition. For it 

 might be explained by supposing the fluids to become sepa- 

 rated from each other in the pores of magnetic bodies to a 

 much greater extent than in the case of other bodies — the 

 separation taking place lengthwise in the case of para- 

 magnetic bodies, and crosswise in the case of diamagnetic 

 bodies, so that in the former all the atoms having an atmo- 

 sphere of parargyrine are turned towards one end, and all 

 those having an atmosphere of pariodine are turned towards 

 the opposite end ; whereas, in diamagnetic bodies, a similar 

 arrangement subsists laterally. Any waves having their 

 origin in ether, whose constituent fluids might be thus 

 separated, would have a direct tendency to become double- 

 sided — that is to say, in such a wave the particles displaced 

 towards the one side of the line of propagation might at 

 any given moment be all of parargyrine, while those dis- 

 placed towards the opposite side of the line of propagation 

 might at the same instant be all of pariodine. Nor does it 

 appear impossible that, in a similar manner, there might 

 be generated invisible magnetic waves, which should be 

 polarised in opposite planes — those whose vibrations are 

 performed in one plane affecting only the parargyrine : 

 while those whose vibrations are performed in the opposite 

 plane affect only the pariodine. The double-sidedness of 

 the waves, however, seems to be a more probable expla- 

 nation of dualism, as it subsists while passing through the 

 free ether. 



That the condition of dualism is actually transmitted 

 through that medium, the connection between the solar 

 spots and terrestrial magnetism seems to render it almost 

 necessary to conclude. Were it not for that connexion, it 

 'might be enough to suppose that, in magnetic bodies, the 

 tendency to a separation of the two ethereal fluids is 

 favoured and augmented by a vibratory condition of the 

 particles of the magnet ; while in the case of the silver 

 salts, the already existing partial separation of the two 

 fluids in the interval between the silver ultimate and the 

 other ultimate with which it is in combination, is neu- 

 tralised by the vibratory motion. In the latter case, the 

 vibrating ultimates are supposed to be very near each 



