152 y Matter Dead. [February, 
about no true definition. So far as I can understand, most 
if not all the life is held to be in the definite atom ; so far 
as many are concerned it certainly is. It has been supposed 
that there is one common atom as well as one substance ; 
but it has been said that the atom possesses always more 
or less motion, due, it is assumed, ‘‘to a primordial impulse. 
This motion gives rise to volume ; the more rapid the 
motion the greater the space occupied by the atom.” 
Let us look at the elements, and see if all is true. The 
metals are certainly not much inclined to combine amongst 
themselves. Mercury will attack some ; but freeze it, 
and it is as quiet as the others, whilst soft metals are 
deadened by a similar treatment. 
John Dalton — True the metals are cold-blooded, and re- 
quire a hot climate to live in ; but give them warmth, and 
you see another result. Even without warming them, put 
them to a cool liquid ; platinum itself will give way before 
acids. 
Roger Bacon — Yes, but freeze the acids, and I fear we 
come to the well-known saying, “ Corpora non agunt nisi 
soluta.” 
John Dalton — But why trouble yourself with these frozen 
bodies? Take hydrogen and chlorine on the coldest day, 
and let them but get a glimpse of the sun, and they burst 
out with a joy unknown even to the violence of our youth. 
There we see the activity of elements. 
Roger Bacon — True, but freeze your chlorine, not difficult 
to do ; freeze your hydrogen into such a solid that it falls 
like a pebble on the floor. I fear they will have no joyful 
shout, but will not deign to recognise each other, even if the 
pieces are in apparent contact. 
Nay more, take all the elements that you have in the 
world and freeze them to solids, throw them into a heap 
together as large as you please, and is it not almost certain 
from our not perfedt knowledge that the adtion will be simply 
nothing. The elements are dead, the matter we see is dead, 
the matter concerning which men speak is dead. Here is 
an end ; let that be left in peace. 
John Dalton — That is easily granted if there is no warmth, 
but add only a small amount of heat to this mass of ele- 
ments and will you not light up the whole ? give even a 
little corner the light of a match and this will cause a 
combination, and this will produce heat, and this heat 
will warm up the next portion, and like a fire of the richest 
coal the whole will burn and spread heat to all around. 
