﻿Aepinus 
  Atomized. 
  259 
  

  

  the 
  ideal 
  substance 
  in 
  other 
  atoms, 
  and 
  attracts 
  electrions, 
  

   according 
  to 
  the 
  inverse 
  square 
  of 
  the 
  distance. 
  But 
  we 
  

   cannot 
  make 
  the 
  corresponding 
  supposition 
  for 
  the 
  mutual 
  

   force 
  between 
  two 
  overlapping 
  atoms 
  ; 
  because 
  we 
  must 
  keep 
  

   ourselves 
  free 
  to 
  add 
  a 
  repulsion 
  or 
  attraction 
  according 
  to 
  

   any 
  law 
  of 
  force, 
  that 
  we 
  may 
  find 
  convenient 
  for 
  the 
  explana- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  electric, 
  elastic, 
  and 
  chemical 
  properties 
  of 
  matter. 
  

  

  § 
  5. 
  The 
  neutralizing 
  quantum 
  of 
  electrions 
  for 
  any 
  atom 
  

   or 
  group 
  of 
  atoms 
  has 
  exactly 
  the 
  same 
  quantity 
  of 
  electricity 
  

   of 
  one 
  kind 
  as 
  the 
  atom 
  or 
  group 
  of 
  atoms 
  has 
  of 
  electricity 
  

   of 
  the 
  opposite 
  kind. 
  The 
  quantum 
  for 
  any 
  single 
  atom 
  may 
  

   be 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  or 
  any 
  integral 
  number, 
  and 
  need 
  not 
  

   be 
  the 
  same 
  for 
  all 
  atoms. 
  The 
  designations 
  monelectrionic, 
  

   dieleetrionic, 
  trielectrionic, 
  tetraelectrionic, 
  polyelectrionic 
  r 
  

   &c, 
  will 
  accordingly 
  be 
  convenient. 
  It 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  the 
  

   differences 
  of 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  atoms 
  of 
  different 
  substances 
  

   may 
  be 
  partially 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  quantum-numbers 
  of 
  their 
  

   electrions 
  being 
  different 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  the 
  differences 
  

   of 
  quality 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  wholly 
  explained 
  in 
  merely 
  Boscovichian 
  

   fashion 
  by 
  differences 
  in 
  the 
  laws 
  of 
  force 
  between 
  the 
  atoms, 
  

   and 
  may 
  not 
  imply 
  any 
  differences 
  in 
  the 
  numbers 
  of 
  electrions 
  

   constituting 
  their 
  quantums. 
  

  

  § 
  6. 
  Another 
  possibility 
  to 
  be 
  kept 
  in 
  view 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  

   neutralizing 
  quantum 
  for 
  an 
  atom 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  any 
  integral 
  

   number 
  of 
  electrions. 
  Thus 
  for 
  example 
  the 
  molecule 
  of 
  a 
  

   diatomic 
  gas, 
  oxygen, 
  or 
  nitrogen, 
  or 
  hydrogen, 
  or 
  chlorine, 
  

   might 
  conceivably 
  have 
  three 
  electrions 
  or 
  some 
  odd 
  number 
  

   of 
  electrions 
  for 
  its 
  quantum 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  single 
  atoms, 
  0, 
  N, 
  

   H, 
  CI, 
  if 
  they 
  could 
  exist 
  separately, 
  must 
  be 
  either 
  vitreously 
  

   or 
  resinously 
  electrified 
  and 
  cannot 
  be 
  neutral. 
  

  

  § 
  7. 
  The 
  present 
  usage 
  of 
  the 
  designations, 
  positive 
  and 
  

   negative, 
  for 
  the 
  two 
  modes 
  of 
  electrification 
  originated 
  no 
  

   doubt 
  with 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  glass 
  globes 
  or 
  cylinders 
  in 
  ordinary 
  

   electric 
  machines 
  giving 
  vitreous 
  electricity 
  to 
  the 
  insulated 
  

   prime 
  conductor, 
  and 
  resinous 
  electricity 
  to 
  the 
  not 
  always 
  

   insulated 
  rubber. 
  Thus 
  Aepinus 
  and 
  his 
  followers 
  regarded 
  

   the 
  prime 
  conductors 
  of 
  their 
  machines 
  as 
  giving 
  the 
  true 
  

   electric 
  fluid, 
  and 
  leaving 
  a 
  deficiency 
  of 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  rubbers 
  to 
  

   be 
  supplied 
  from 
  the 
  earth. 
  It 
  is 
  curious, 
  in 
  Beccaria's 
  

   account 
  of 
  his 
  observations 
  made 
  about 
  1760 
  at 
  Garzegna 
  

   in 
  Piedmont 
  on 
  atmospheric 
  electricity, 
  to 
  read 
  of 
  " 
  The 
  

   mild 
  excessive 
  electricity 
  of 
  the 
  air 
  in 
  fair 
  weather." 
  This 
  

   in 
  modern 
  usage 
  would 
  be 
  called 
  mild 
  positive 
  electricity. 
  

   The 
  meaning 
  of 
  either 
  expression, 
  stated 
  in 
  non-hypothetical 
  

   language, 
  is, 
  the 
  mild 
  vitreous 
  electricity 
  of 
  the 
  air 
  in 
  fair 
  

   weather. 
  

  

  S2 
  

  

  