198 The Organisation of Matter, [April 
plant the energy of the poles predominates. In the animal 
the energy of the centre is most vigorous. The attractions 
of the one are axial, those of the other central. If only 
attraction acted upon them the one would be a cylinder, the 
other a globe. But there are numerous other forces, which 
produce various divergences from their typical forms. 
The foregoing considerations lead us to one general con- 
clusion as to the organisation of matter, namely, that the 
three visible states of matter — the solid, the liquid, and the 
gas — are the only states, the aCtion of force tending to the 
necessary production of one or the other of these states. 
The gaseous is the disintegrated state. It is the condition 
of individuality of concrete units. These, in their internal 
organisation, may possess the liquid or the solid constitution. 
Externally they have a free field of movement, and vigorous 
mass motion enabling them to occupy the field. The parti- 
cles of the free matter of space, and the molecules of the 
atmospheres of the suns and planets, are in this condition, 
subject to attraction, but not definitely controlled by it, the 
only effective controlling influence upon their motion being 
that of impaCt. 
These units, in their internal organisation, may be in the 
liquid state of aggregation, though it is more probable that 
the chemical molecules assume the solid state. The spheres 
as wholes also display the liquid phase of aggregation, that 
of rotation about an axis of attraction, with a condensation 
of their material around the centre of this axis. Solar sys- 
tems, as units, are also in the liquid state internally, that of 
rotation around a centre. Each planet represents an annular 
ring rotating around a centre. In most of the planets this 
ring has broken up, and its material gathered into one mass. 
This breaking up and re-aggregation is only partly accom- 
plished in the case of the planetary ring between Mars and 
Jupiter. In the inner satellites of Saturn the rings remain 
complete, yielding a condition possibly similar to that which 
may exist in the organisation of the primary atoms of 
matter. 
But if we consider the solar systems as units in their ex- 
terior relations, it is possible that we may have an instance 
of the gaseous organisation. For, as argued in my article 
on “ The Evolution of the Spheres, they may possess an 
inter-relation of organisation, but may exist as free moving 
individuals, precisely analogous to the unit components of a 
gas. Like the latter, they are subject to attractive and re- 
pulsive agencies, dependent upon the directions of their 
motions. But these are perhaps not sufficiently vigorous to 
