1904-5.] Mr J. Fraser on Electricity based on Bubble Atom. 683 
the atom, and which energy was consumed in pushing the ether 
back so as to leave clear such a space. Inversely, then, when this 
space is being encroached upon the absorbed energy is given out 
again. It ought to be clear now what becomes of the heat absorbed 
by the melting ice ; it is expended in repairing the partial collapse 
of the molecules at their points of contact and rounding them out 
again till they separate. The inner working of it will be some- 
thing like this : at each inward vibration of the molecules the 
particles will be crowded close together and moving with their 
greatest velocity, some of their energy will be spent, in the sub- 
sequent outward rebound, in driving the ether back in a pulse or 
wave, and some in rounding out the collapsed part of the atoms. 
The heat which disappears does the latter part of the work, and 
this heat continues to disappear until the molecules part company, 
till, in fact, their points of contact are so rounded off that they have 
no longer a sufficient hold upon one another to retain them in 
the solid state. From this to the boiling point the applied heat is 
used up in increasing the motion of the molecules, causing them to 
take up more space, and, since increase of molecular motion is 
increase of temperature, manifesting an increased temperature. 
The heat which becomes “ latent ” during evaporation I have little 
new to say about ; no doubt part of it is used up in driving back 
the atmosphere, but a goodly proportion will be used up in complet- 
ing the rounding off of the points of contact of the molecules, and 
also in separating the constituent atoms of each molecule a greater 
distance apart, in fact rounding off their points of contact, and which 
process, if the heat were sufficiently great, would result in their dis- 
sociation, and the atoms would become complete spheres once again. 
4. I now proceed to introduce my theory of electricity based on 
the constitution of the bubble atom. This atom the more it is 
examined the more marvellous will it appear. In concluding my 
former paper I expressed my confidence that within the folds 
of the theory with which it dealt lay hidden the mystery of 
electricity, and I hope my confidence in it may be found to be 
justified, for although I even now know only the facts connected 
with the most prominent points of the science, yet I hope to be 
able to account for those facts in a very fair way. I have not 
had time to read up and fix in my memory the technicalities of the 
