644 
Latent Heat . 
[November, 
geneity of temperature, but of great heterogeneity of distri- 
bution in matter and its absolute heat contents. And the 
sole cause of this long-continued change would be the 
attraction of gravitation. Could this attractive influence 
aCt sufficiently long upon the matter of any extensive region 
of space, without resistance from any reversing influence, 
the series of changes indicated in this paper might all take 
place. Nor would the series of changes end here. They 
could not cease until the utmost effeCt of gravitation had 
been produced. 
If we consider the case of some great ultimate orb, at 
rest in space, what would be the final result of its attrac- 
tion ? Assuming that all substance is subject to attraction, 
the tendency would be to condense the matter of space 
around this orb. But such condensation must have its 
limit. It could not possibly continue until all matter was 
solidified, and space denuded of its contents. For it must 
be remembered that the effeCt of gravitation is really two- 
fold. The pull on each separate particle is excessively 
slight, and diminishes rapidly outward from the solid sur- 
face. The weight of gas volumes is more largely a result of 
their compression by the gravity of atmospheric matter 
above them, than of their intrinsic attractive energy. But 
in remote space this compression must be inappreciably 
slight, and the attractive energy be so reduced that but little 
density could exist. Therefore, however intense the at- 
tractive force of the great final orb, it could not possibly 
reduce to solidity the matter of space. However dense the 
immediate atmospheric portions of this matter, the remote 
portions must continue in a state of excessive rarity, and 
but slightly affeCted by gravity. 
Thus the final state must be an arrangement of matter in 
successive zones, varying gradually from the utmost density 
at the centre of the orb to the utmost rarity at the outer 
borders of its attractive control. Accompanying this would 
be a reverse distribution of heat, the capacity for heat being 
greatest in the zone of rarest matter, and least in the 
densest zone. At the centre of the orb heat energy might 
almost cease to exist, the motive vigour necessary to give 
this highly compressed matter a certain temperature being 
excessively less than that needed by very rare matter. 
We may briefly glance at another possible result of the 
process of evolution here indicated. Chemical activity has 
accompanied it from its beginning, and may accompany it 
to its end, but the effects of chemism have become suc- 
cessively more and more complex. For a long period inor- 
