MACKINTOSH’S ELECTRICAL THEORY OF THE UNIVERSE. 
separate state, or merely intermixed with 
small portions of earths or salts ; and it 
exists in a state of the greatest purity in the 
diamond ; for it has been ascertained, by 
chemical investigation, that the diamond, 
when ex[iosed to a very high temperature, 
and especially if confined in oxygen gas, will 
burn like charcoal, exhibiting the same 
product ; that gem consisting entirely of 
crystallized carbon. 
{To he continued.) 
ELECTRICAL THEORY OF THE 
UNIVERSE. 
By Mr. Thomas S. Mackintosh. 
{Continued from page 475.) 
It is found to be a direct consequence of 
the law of electrical induction, that if a 
small body weakly electrified be placed at a 
distance from another and a larger body 
more highly charged with the same species 
of electricity, it will, as usual, be repelled ; 
but there is a certain distance within which 
if it he brought, attraction will taJce place 
instead of repulsion. This happens in 
consequence of the inductive influence pro- 
ducing so great a change in the distribution 
of the electricity as to give a preponder- 
ance to the attractive forces of the adjacent 
parts of the two bodies over the repulsive 
forces that take place in the other parts, 
and which would have alone acted if the 
fluid had been immoveable. From this it 
appears, that when the moon has approach- 
ed within a certain limit, the repulsive 
will be overcome by the attractive force, 
and she will be precipitated upon the earth’s 
surface. We cannot at present pretend to 
determine this limit, or to speak with any 
degree of certainty concerning the period 
that may elapse before this catastrophe 
takes place. If the principle of this theory 
were sufficiently investigated to enable us 
to deduce with precision the electrical states 
of Jupiter and Saturn, we might perhaps 
be able to draw conclusions from the respect- 
ive distances of their satellites with regard 
to this point ; but, in the present state of 
our knowledge, we can offer no date that 
could be at all relied upon. However, we 
will give a table of all the known satellites 
in the solar system, with their respective 
distances from their primaries, as afford- 
ing a reasonable ground of hope, even grant- 
ing the truth of our theory, that such a 
catastrophe will not take place for a very 
considerable period of time. 
(To he continued.) 
