200 
The Organisation of Matter. 
April, 
The vibrating energy has the advantage, in the case above 
referred to, of particles intermediate between two centres of 
attraction. It also grows rapidly in vigour as condensation 
ensues through loss of temperature, attraction increasing in 
the rapid ratio of the reverse square of distance. Thus a 
certain degree of propinquity may give the local energy a 
greater force than that of the combined central energy. The 
tendency to vibrate between contiguous particles becomes in 
excess of the tendency to rotate around a general centre of 
force. Yet the mass is organised in the spherical mode of 
motion, and a considerable excess of the opposite tendency 
is necessary to overcome this organisation, unless the liquid 
be disturbed. If it be disturbed the particles at once break 
loose from their allegiance to the centre, and begin to 
vibrate in allegiance to the local energies. The liquid be- 
comes the solid. 
But the attractions of molecules are not equal in all 
directions. If they are rigid, or solid aggregations of atoms, 
their attractive energy must be strongest in the direction of 
greatest accordance of motion, weakest in the direction of. 
least accordance. Thus the molecule which vibrates under 
the influence of several surrounding molecules may feel 
attractions of diverse vigour in different directions, and may 
thus be able to move through a wider field in some direc- 
tions than in others. The molecules have a double influence 
upon each other. They force each other to assume similar 
polar directions, precisely as a mass of minute magnets 
might do. Their poles being thus all in one direction, their 
greatest vigour of attraction would be in one fixed direction, 
their least in another. The field occupied by the vibrating 
molecule must be governed by the condition of the internal 
motions of the molecules, and the consequent vigour of their 
attractions in various directions. It might be equal in every 
direction, or it might have three or more poles of force 
differing in vigour. And every molecule, while under the 
influence of a series of surrounding molecules, would form 
a member of several new series, influencing the motion of 
other molecules. Thus each molecule would be surrounded 
by others occupying the angles of some geometrical figure, 
and its resultant field of aCtion must be an angular instead 
of a curvilinear space. In short, from such a mode of 
aggregation, the angular formation of the crystal must 
result, its shape being fixed for every kind of molecules, since 
each kind has its peculiar relations of attractive energy. 
In very complex molecules, of weak attractive adhesion, 
the central may again overcome the local energies. These 
