306 Actinism and Magnetism. July, 



other, and by their oscillations mechanically to mix the 

 two fluids. But in the case of a magnet, the vibrating 

 particles are farther apart, and the effect of the vibration 

 seems to be to drive away the intervening parargyrine 

 from one of the kinds of atoms of which the ultimate of 

 iron consists, and the pariodine from another set of those 

 atoms — so promoting the separation of the fluids. 



The permanent condition of magnetism does not appear 

 to be capable of explanation, except on the supposition that 

 even- such magnet has the power to convert invisible 

 ethereal waves into magnetic waves. There is even in the 

 dark a constant interchange of radiation between magnets 

 and all other surrounding bodies. Now if magnetic, like 

 fluorescent bodies, have power to alter the rate and cha- 

 racter of vibrations communicated to their particles, it is 

 not difficult to imagine, that what comes to the magnet as 

 radiant heat, or light, or actinism, may in part at least be 

 given off again as radiant magnetism with its concomitant 

 dualism, and that what in other bodies serves only to main- 

 tain their temperature at a pitch corresponding to that of all 

 surrounding bodies, serves in the case of a magnet partly to 

 maintain its magnetism at a certain rate of tension. 



Magnetism is quite as much an energy as temperature ; 

 nor does it appear more possible for a magnet to maintain 

 its magnetism without a continuous fresh supply of motive 

 energy, than for a body to maintain its temperature without 

 a like supply. Moreover, as the motive energy of tem- 

 perature is undoubtedly capable of being converted into the 

 motive energy of magnetism, and met i.l, it seems no 

 more than reasonable to suppose this conversion to be in 

 continual progress in the pores of a permanent magnet. 

 Thus it appears unnecessary to look farther for the needful 

 supply of motive energy which maintains permanent mag- 

 netism, than primarily to the ethereal waves transmitted 

 from the sun, and secondarily to the continuous radiation 

 emanating from all surrounding bodies. Doubtless a por- 

 tion of this energy goes to maintain the temperature of the 

 magnet ; but it must be borne in mind that this tem- 

 perature is nothing else than a certain amount of vibratory 

 motion in the particles : nor does it appear improbable that 

 such a vibrator}- condition cannot subsist, without tending 

 to uphold the magnetic state, w r here it has been already 

 developed. Such a degree of cold as would reduce this 

 vibrator}' condition to a very low point would no doubt 

 destroy, or at least suspend, the magnetism of a permanent 



